Following the agitation in some quarters for the extension of the second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), which ended on Monday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would soon announce a date and registration points at its local council offices where people could register.
This phase of the exercise, which commenced last Wednesday and involved the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and 11 states – Yobe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kwara, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ondo, Oyo, Delta and Cross River was billed to end on August 25.
In a statement, Kayode Robert Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said that though INEC acknowledged logistics problems that might make it impossible to extend the phase beyond the scheduled deadline, it regretted that the old tendencies towards irregularities, whereby party faithful urge people to do multiple registration, largely accounts for the crowd clusters at registration points.
According to the INEC statement, “many other people who have relocated since the last registration exercise and only needed to apply for their registration status to be transferred to their new location also turned up for fresh registration.
“When data are consolidated and de-duplication is carried out by INEC, all instances of multiple registrations will yet be eliminated. But, unfortunately, this set of people obstructed legitimate registrants from having their turn at the registration points.
“The commission strongly appeals that anyone who has previously registered and already has his/her records in the Biometric Register of Voters should avoid re-presenting himself/herself at any other place for registration.
• If a previously registered person has relocated from where he/she registered, he/she should simply apply for transfer of the registration data to the new location, as provided for by the electoral law.
• If anyone found his/her name on the register displayed ahead of the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) but was unable to collect the PVC during the distribution period, such a person should go to the respective council office of INEC, where the card will be awaiting collection by now.”
INEC further urge all stakeholders in the electoral process to commit to playing by the rules at all time in the collective quest to enthrone free, fair and credible elections.
