News
INEC Extends Continuous Voter Registration Till End Of July 2022
…after a meeting yesterday to review the suspension of CVR
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION, (INEC) SUSPENSION OF THE CONTINUOUS VOTER REGISTRATION (CVR)
Olushola Okunlade Writes
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met in an extraordinary session yesterday, Friday 15th July 2022, and discussed among other things, the suspension of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
This followed the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court on Wednesday 13th July 2022 in which it dismissed the suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) which is seeking an extension of the exercise beyond 30th June 2022.
The Court has affirmed that INEC is at liberty to appoint a date of its choice to suspend the CVR, provided it is not later than 90 days before the date fixed for the General Election as provided in Sec. 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022.
In compliance with the interim injunction of the Court pending the determination of the substantive suit, and in order to enable more Nigerians to register, the Commission continued with the CVR beyond 30th June 2022. For this reason, the CVR has already been extended beyond 30th June 2022 for a period of 15 days.
With the judgment of the Federal High Court, all legal encumbrances have now been removed. Accordingly, the Commission has taken the following decisions:
- The CVR is hereby extended for another two weeks until Sunday 31st July 2022, thereby bringing the total duration of the extension to 31 days (1st – 31st July 2022).
- The exercise has also been extended to eight hours daily from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm instead of the current duration of six hours (9:00 am – 3:00 pm) daily.
- The exercise is also extended to include weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) as against only weekdays.
We appreciate that the timeframe may be tight for many prospective registrants, but there is a lot that the Commission is required to do under the electoral legal framework in relation to voter registration and compilation of the register that will require time to accomplish. For instance, the Commission is required to:
- Clean-up of the register to remove multiple registrants using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS);
- Consolidate the national register of voters (existing voters and new registrants) and display the same on a polling Unit basis for each of the 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards) across the 774 Local Government Areas nationwide for public scrutiny. This lasts for a period of one week. On the basis of a new projection of 95 million voters, on the basis of 10 voters per page, the Commission has to print 9,500,000 pages for the display;
- Print millions of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for all fresh registrants and applicants for transfer and replacement of lost or damaged PVCs;
- Ensure that there is ample time for voters to collect their PVCs ahead of the 2023 General Election;
- Print the final register of voters in triplicate for the 2023 General Election involving a projected 28,500,000 pages for accreditation and display at 176,846 polling units for national elections (Presidential and National Assembly) on 25th February 2023 and State elections (Governorship and State Assembly) on 11th March 2023; and
- Make copies of the updated national register of voters available to political parties not later than 30 days to the date fixed for the General Election.
We appeal for the patience and understanding of all Nigerians as we conclude the exercise which will resume after the 2023 General Election.
We observed that following the continuation of the exercise beyond 30th June 2022, many of the registration centers recorded a low turnout of prospective registrants. With this two-week extension, we appeal to eligible citizens not to wait until the last few days before they inundate the centres again to register.
We appreciate the interest of Nigerians to register and participate in the electoral process and once again reiterate our commitment to credible and transparent elections. This can only be achieved with the support and cooperation of all Nigerians.
…caution youths against being used as political thugs
From Bassey Williams, Yenagoa
The Coordinator of Niger Delta frontiers and former State chairman of the defunct United Democratic Party (UDP) Chief/Come. Angadia E. Eminent has chided the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri over the neglect of Ogbotobo Community in Egboma clan of Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State in the areas of development and lopsided appointments of indigenes into the positions of trust by the Prosperity administration of Senator Douye Diri in spite of their contributions and roles towards the miraculous emergence of Senator Diri as the governor of Bayelsa State.
Chief Eminent who stated this while interacting with newsmen in Yenagoa said Ogbotobo Federated Community of Egboma clan is an oil-rich community but has been neglected by both oil companies especially the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the government of the day, stating that the result of the negligence affected the aged who should be taken care of by the government as claimed by the Miracle government are the ones feigning for themselves adding that the ten thousand naira monthly stipends of the prosperity administration for the elderly is not enough to cater for the needs of elderly.
Chief/Come. Angadia E. Eminent, Coordinator of Niger Delta frontiers and a former State chairman of the defunct United Democratic Party (UDP).
On the State of the gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State come November 11, Mr. Eminent advised the youths against being used by the politicians who will dump them immediately after being sworn into office, he equally impores the politicians to play the rules of the game as nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of anybody while calling on electorates not to sale their conscience by being induced financially inorder to make wrong choices.
Speaking further on the activities of the Niger Delta Frontiers the coordinator said the organisation is out to change the narrative of youth of the Niger Delta region from restiveness to skills acquisition dialoguing the group which is not influenced by political gladiators has mobilizers across the nine states of the Niger Delta region with coordinators at the grassroots who monitor activities and report same central.
Decriding the state of underdevelopment IP Ogbotobo community, the activist blamed the government for not being able to settle the crisis that rocked the community for over nine years not until he became the Community Development Chairman (CDC) that he brought peace to the community.
He described the acclaimed feat in educational and health sectors by the Prosperity government as lip services as pupils and students in both primary and secondary schools are sitting on the floors and under shady trees to learn with inadequate staff strength.
He advised the governor Diri led Prosperity administration to carry all the communities in Bayelsa state along irrespective of clan, religious, and party affiliations.
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