BENIN CITY – The Edo office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday, said that a total of 103, 101 new voters had been fully registered, out of the 267,469 that registered online.
Mr Johnson Alalibo, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), made this known at a stakeholders meeting on Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), in Benin.
Alalibo, who noted that the figure was not encouraging, appealed to stakeholders to mobilise their people for the ongoing registration, especially in the newly created polling units.
He also disclosed that the number of polling units in Edo had been increased from 2,627 to 4,519, adding that, a total of 1, 892 voting points were converted to substantive polling units to make up the current number.
“In June 2021, the continuous voter registration commenced online, but restricted to the local and state government offices of the commission.
“I am delighted to inform you that the commission in its effort at encouraging Nigerians to participate in the electoral process had approved that it should be taken to registration areas and ward levels across the country.
“So, intending registrants should, therefore, take advantage of the opportunity by visiting their wards to get registered.
“Fresh registrants, who must be 18 years and above should visit INEC online portal, CVR.inec.gov.ng or CVR.inecnigeria.org to register and then proceed to INEC office or system roving nearest to them for capturing,” he said.
He, however, warned against double registration, adding that anyone caught to have engaged in double registration risked the total loss of his or her registration.
The REC further explained that due to the limited available number of INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVED), the voter registration exercise would be rotational as more devices were being expected.
Alalibo called on security agencies in the state to provide security for INEC staff and materials while on the national assignment.
We also call on the political parties to work harmoniously towards the success of the registration exercise, he said.
Speaking during the question and answer session, the chairman of the Zenith Labour Party, Bishop Akhalamhe, commended INEC for always convening stakeholder meetings to keep them abreast of their activities.
Akhalamhe appealed to INEC to extend the registration to polling units, adding that the economic situation in the country was biting hard because intending registrants could not afford transport fares to their wards to register.
Also, Mr Harcourt Eboh, the state Secretary of Accord Party, urged INEC to roll out a time-table for the roving IVED to enable registrants be aware of the date and time the device would visit the wards.
