The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday fixed 12th to 19th March 2014 as dates for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise for Osun and Ekiti governorship elections, which are to hold later in the year.
This disclosure was made by Emmanuel Akem, INEC’s Director in charge of Voter Registration during a Stakeholders’ Forum with the theme, Status of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) Toward the 2015 General Elections‘ in Abuja.
The event was organised by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) and four other international agencies.
He said the early date for the exercise would enable the commission to accommodate all complaints that may arise from voter registration in the states before the governorship elections would hold.
The exercise, he added, would be carried out by the Registration Area Officers (RAOs) for ward levels, while also disclosing that INEC is considering the possibility of using mobile platforms to carry out the registration.
Maintaining that the exercise would help correct some of the anomalies detected in the 2010 voter register, he added: “We want to use the opportunity of the CVR to correct some of the mistakes in terms of biometrics in the previous registration.
“The choice of the registration centres at the ward has to do with increasing the participation in the process”.
For those who are unable to register at the ward level, the director said they could come to the INEC Local Government offices to register, adding that the commission would comply with the Electoral Act that places N100,000 fine on any person involved in multiple registrations.
Speaking in like manner, Dr. Hussaini Abdu, Country Director of ActionAid International, Nigeria said the voter registration is an important part of elections and a major factor in its credibility. He said ActionAid had been clamouring for credible voter register since 1998.
He lamented the inability of the country to adopt a permanent voter card since 1999, adding that the development informed civil society organisations to engage in the proposed Electoral Act just as he accused INEC of approaching the continuous voter registration in a seasonal manner.
“You do not need a particular date to secure an international passport. You just walk into the office of the Immigration service and apply for one as long as you meet the requirement”, he said.
“That is the same way voter registration should be done. So, the continuous voter registration, as the name implies, should be continuous in its actual meaning”.
