The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has informed that it will deploy additional personnel and materials to accelerate the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise in Anambra state.
The Chairman of the Commission, Professor Yakubu Mahmud, disclosed this in Awka during an implementation Meeting on Voter Education in preparation for the November sixth governorship election in the state.
The meeting was organized for Heads of the National Orientation Agency, National Youth Service Corps, and electoral officers from the twenty-one local government areas of the state.
The Implementation meeting on Voter Enlightenment And Publicity, was aimed at educating local government Electoral Officers and major stakeholders on the mission and programmes of the commission ahead of the election.
The INEC Chairman, represented by the National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Festus Okoye, pointed out that the Commission was paying special attention to the continuous voter registration to ensure that all eligible voters register in preparation for the November election.
He said INEC will also decide when to suspend the Continuous Voter Registration to enable it print the Permanent Voter Cards of new registrants and integrate the supplementary voters register with the existing register of voters, and thereafter resume after the election.
“As some of you are aware, the new polling units created by the Commission will come into force during the 6th November 2021 Anambra State Governorship election.
The people of Anambra State will vote from polling units that are closer and accessible. Our young men and women who have turned 18 and those that have never registered before will have the opportunity of exercising their democratic franchise. Voters registration is at the heart of the democratic process. Those that have done their pre-registration online should try and complete theirs in-person through biometric capture as the online reservation lapses after 14 days. ”
Also speaking, the Director, Voter Enlightenment and Publicity, Mr. Nick Dazang, observed that the commission has never crossed the threshold of twenty-five percent of voters in all the Governorship elections conducted in Anambra state since 2009, and urged the citizens to take advantage of the new reforms introduced by INEC to come out and cast their votes during the November 6 governorship election.
In a remark, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra state, Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, said the commission will be more proactive in educating the public on the procedures and processes of the election through the media and stakeholders.
The state Director, National Orientation Agency, Mr. Charles Nworji, and the State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, Mrs. Yetunde Baderinwa, commended the organizers of the event, promising to partner the commission to ensure the success of the election.
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