Ahead of the conduct of off-season governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states in September and November respectively, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed its intention to resume the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the two states.
Speaking, on Monday, at a consultative meeting with chairmen of political parties, chairman of the commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, revealed that the exercise will hold in 397 centres in the two states from May 27 to June 5.
Yakubu added that aside the CVR, his commission would also make available the uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the two states.
He said: “As the elections in the two states approach, the commission has decided to resume the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the two states to enable eligible citizens who are not registered voters to do so.
“Similarly, those who are registered voters also have the opportunity to transfer their registration from other States of the federation to Edo and Ondo States or from one location to another within the two states. Let me reiterate that the CVR is only open to new registrants and those who seek to transfer their registration.
“Persons who are registered as voters should not attempt to register again as double or multiple registration is illegal. Lost or damaged voters’ cards will be replaced during the exercise but this does require fresh registration.
“The CVR in Edo and Ondo states will take place simultaneously from Monday 27th May 2024 to Wednesday 5th June 2024 from 9.00am to 3.00pm daily including the weekend.
“Taking into consideration the limited time to the governorship elections, the commission has decided to conduct the registration at ward level and our state headquarters instead of our local government offices and a few designated centers as was the case in the past. This means that there will be 192 ward registration centres in Edo State and 203 centres in Ondo State, in addition to our State offices in Benin City and Akure, making a total of 397 walk-in registration centres in the two states.”
“There will be no online pre-registration option in the two States because of time constraint. Each centre will be managed by two officials drawn from our regular staff and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In the next few days, the Commission will commence the training of at least 794 officials for the exercise.
“The locations of the registration centres as well as other relevant information have been compiled in a detailed 28-page document included in your folders for this meeting. The same information will be uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information shortly.
“The commission therefore appeals to political parties and other stakeholders to join us in mobilising prospective registrants for the exercise, particularly on the need to register early and not wait until the deadline approaches when the registration centres are inundated by eleventh hour registrants.
“ In addition to the registration of voters, the Commission will also make available the uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for collection during the CVR. In the coming days, the list of uncollected PVCs will be published in our offices in the two States and simultaneously uploaded to our website. Again, we encourage those who have not collected their PVCs in the two States to seize the opportunity to do so.”
Chairman of the Inter party Advisory Council, Yusuf Dantalle, in his remarks appealed to INEC to collaborate with the forum of political parties to sensitise the electorate in Edo and Ondo i to partake in the CVR. IPAC National Chairman also dropped the hint that his body would seek for an amendment of the Constitution to accomodate grant of fund to political parties.
“The need to restore annual grant to political parties that was expunged from the constitution by the National Assembly, cannot be overemphasized.
“IPAC has set up its Constitution and Electoral Act Amendments Committee that will recommend aspects of the laws that need to be reviewed, and presented to the National Assembly for consideration.”
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