BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission has disclosed that it is targeting a total number of 100 million voters with a minimum of 20 million additional registrants in the forthcoming nationwide Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
INEC added that the success of the exercise would depend on the level of publicity accorded it and also pleaded with media organisations to ensure the success of the registration exercise through massive publicity. It said the exercise is scheduled to last a period of at least one year.
The electoral body’s chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the appeal in his remarks during the second quarterly meeting with media organisations at INEC headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Yakubu further noted that with the launch of the online voter registration portal and deployment of over 2000 mobile physical registration equipment, the target of the commission to enrol about 100 million voters ahead of the 2023 general election is a mission possible.
“The expansion of voters’ access to polling units prepares the ground for the discharge of another important responsibility of the Commission. The registration of eligible Nigerians as voters is one of the immediate tasks before the Commission.
“Consequently, in the next one week, that is, Monday June 28, 2021, the Commission will resume the continuous voter registration nationwide. In doing so, the Commission is introducing a portal to enable eligible Nigerians to commence registration as voters online before completing the exercise physically at designated centres nationwide.
“This is first time a major exercise of this nature is handled partially online consistent with the Commission’s commitment to continue to deepen the use of technology in the electoral process in Nigeria.”
Stressing the importance of media involvement in the exercise, Prof Yakubu said, “Just like the expansion of voter access to Polling Units, the Commission appeals to the media for support so that this novel idea will also be successful. The CVR will be a major issue for discussion at this meeting.
“The Commission will also brief you about the preparations for the forthcoming Anambra State Governorship election scheduled for November 6, 2021 and the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) holding on February 12, 2022.”
He disclosed that the Commission has released the timetable and schedule of activities for the two major off-season governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states holding on June 18, 2022 and July 16, 2022 respectively.
Responding, the President of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Chris Isiguzo, appealed to the Commission to use the various off season elections to cement the electoral gains it has recorded.
