The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released additional 209 enrolment machines to the five South Eastern States, Lagos and Kano where the pressure is most acute in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
According to the Commission’s Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye, “the Commission received reports from States indicating an unprecedented surge in the number of citizens that wish to register as voters and the challenges they face across the country.”
Okoye said in some States, the sudden turnout of prospective registrants was overwhelming.
He said the Commission convened an urgent meeting with all the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on Thursday, 9th June, 2022 to review the situation so that eligible Nigerians who wished to register were able to do so.
He said the necessity to urgently deploy more voter enrolment machines to ease the congestion at the registration centres was identified as a priority.
Okoye said in response, the Commission had immediately released additional 209 machines deployed mainly in the five South Eastern States, Lagos and Kano where the pressure was most acute.
He said the Commission would monitor the situation over the next few days.
“Thereafter, it will meet to review the progress of the exercise.”
Okoye added that every step would be taken and all options would be explored to ensure that eligible Nigerians were given the opportunity to register as voters.
He said the Commission appealed for patience and understanding of all citizens.
“Every Nigerian who is 18 years of age and above has the constitutional right to register and vote in any part of the country he/she resides without let or hinderance.
“The sudden surge is an affirmation of the increasing confidence Nigerians have in our electoral process. The Commission will continue to ensure that this confidence is sustained,” Okoye said.
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
