The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out the possibility of extending the second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which ended on Monday (yesterday)
Some voters who were yet to register mounted vociferous agitation for the extension, claiming that may eligible voters were yet to be registered.
But Mr, Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Commission, said in a statement that the extension was not logistically feasible.
This phase of the exercise, which commenced on Wednesday, August 20th, 2014, involved the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and 11 states namely Yobe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kwara, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ondo, Oyo Delta and Cross River.
Idowu said, “Much as the Commission is eager to ensure that all legitimate persons who are yet to register as voters have the opportunity to do so, it is logistically impossible to extend this phase of the CVR beyond its scheduled deadline (i.e., Monday, August 25th, 2014).”
“But in order to give fair chance to legitimate registrants, the Commission will, on a date to be shortly announced, set up registration points at its Local Government Area (LGA) offices where people yet to do so can go to register.
Also,“INEC notes with deep regret that old tendencies towards irregularity, such as partisans urging people to come out and do multiple registrations, largely accounted for the crowd clusters lingering at registration points set up for the CVR by the Commission.
“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, these sets of people obstructed legitimate registrants from having their turn at the registration points.
The Commission strongly appealed 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 his / her PVC during the distribution period, such a person should go to respective LGA office of INEC where the card will be awaiting collection by now.
INEC again urged all stakeholders in the electoral process to commit themselves to playing at all times by the rules in the collective quest to enthrone free, fair and credible elections.
