PVC: Stranded applicants lament, seek extension, INEC adamant
PVC: Stranded applicants lament, seek extension, INEC adamant
PVC: Stranded applicants lament, seek extension, INEC adamant
Nigerians, who could not register in the continuous voter registration, which ended on Sunday, have expressed frustration over the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission to extend the exercise.
The stranded applicants in interviews with newsmen thumbed down the decision of the commission to stop the CVR, describing it as a way to disenfranchise them.
In preparation for the 2023 general elections, INEC began the nationwide registration in June 2021 to enable Nigerians who had just attained the voting age and others to register.
The electoral body planned to terminate the CVR on June 30, 2022, but a civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project on June 5 filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking an extension of the exercise beyond that date.
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Consequently, Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon on June 20 granted an order of interim injunction stopping INEC from stopping the registration exercise.
In compliance with the order, the electoral body extended the exercise till July 31.
Despite the extension, however, hundreds of applicants have continued to besiege registration centres nationwide in a bid to register before the deadline.
But findings indicated that thousands of Nigerians in Niger, Kano, Lagos, Katsina, Benue, Ogun and Enugu as well as the Federal Capital Territory could not participate in the exercise before it ended on Sunday.
In Niger State, hundreds of people were seen milling about at the INEC registration centre near the Eastern byepass, Minna, waiting to be attended to by officials. Some of them complained that they had been at the centre since 5am.
In Kano, over 100 prospective applicants were seen struggling to register at the INEC sub-centre located behind Nomansland Police Station.
Narrating his ordeal on Sunday, Kevin Nnadi, said he and others had been at the centre for over 15 hours.
An INEC worker who spoke on condition of anonymity said there was no way they could register all the people who turned out for the exercise.
The situation was not different in Plateau State where scores of Nigerians complained about their frustration with the exercise.
A resident, Hannah Gyang, who was in the queue, said she would not return home unless she completed her registration.
The Head of Communication Unit of INEC in the state, Cornelius John, assured the people that the officials would attend to everyone before the exercise eventually closed.
Speaking to newsmen in Gombe, a resident, Rebecca Mohammed, said she had been at the centre thrice but was not registered.
The Head of Voter Education and Publicity, in Gombe State, Nuhu Ibrahim, said INEC had registered 202, 838 individuals so far ahead of the termination of the exercise.
PVC: Stranded applicants lament, seek extension, INEC adamant
