Exclusion of 11m voters justifies call for extension of CVR, says Convener, situation room

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3 years ago

The convener of Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room and Country Director, Action Aid, Ene Obi has reiterated the call for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the voters registration by another two months to accommodate the huge number of voters excluded by the closure of the exercise.

According to her, the call was justified by the number of voters excluded as the closure of the INEC registration portal has shut out 11 million voters who could not complete their registration before the date of July 31st, the day it closed the continuous voter registration (CVR).

Obi who was a guest on Channels TV said the figure of 11 million voters was not to discountenance especially when there was still time before the February 2023 general elections.

The Situation Room convener maintained that the call was germane and critical by other organisations for consideration and does not amount to stretching the commission, in spite of the processes required to clean up the voters’ register.

“It’s not a matter of stretching too far. I think they are crying the cry of civil society as well. That is why you should look at your 11 million citizens. Can you then tell us, how you do not get to register? How were they not able to? Would you not be concerned on why or how they have not been able to register to complete their registration? I think that’s a source of concern.”

She stated that the interest shown by Nigerian youths in Continuous Voter Registration across the country was reigniting their interest in Nigeria as a country.

According to her, this should be encouraged to boost the renewed interest in the Nigerian youth towards the nation and discourage them by the closure which would restate their reservation on the system not working for them.

“The electoral Act gives them time to continue registration until 90 days to the time but we are not asking them to even reach that 90 days. But essentially for the next two months.

“There are so many young Nigerians who don’t believe in the nation anymore because of the issues of unemployment, because of the issues of school, and the issue of the strike. Who is talking to them?

“We are not addressing the youth, which is the engine room for Nigeria, for development in Nigeria. And so, our outcry is that the interest has been generated.”

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