By David Lawani
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has disclosed that Following reports of the sudden surge in the number of Nigerians taking part in the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, the Commission has announced that it has deployed additional 209 bimodal machines to the five SouthEastern States, including Lagos and the Kano States accordingly.
INEC informs that it has received reports from states indicating an unprecedented spread in the number of citizens that wish to register as voters and the challenges they face across the country.
The commission, in a statement by its Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Barr. Festus Okoye added that in some states, the sudden turnout of prospective registrants was overwhelming.
According to him: “Consequently, the Commission convened an urgent meeting with all the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) yesterday Thursday 9th June 2022 to review the situation so that eligible Nigerians who wish to register can do so. The necessity to urgently deploy more voter enrolment machines to ease the congestion at the registration centers was identified as a priority.
“In response, the Commission has immediately released additional 209 machines deployed mainly to the five South Eastern States, Lagos, and Kano where the pressure is most acute,” he said.
He explained that the commission will monitor the situation over the next few days. Thereafter, it will meet to review the progress of the exercise.
He said every step will be taken and all options will be explored to ensure that eligible Nigerians are allowed to register as voters.
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“The Commission appeals for patience and understanding of all citizens. Every Nigerian who is 18 years of age and above has the constitutional right to register and vote in any part of the country he/she resides in without let or hindrance.
“The sudden surge is an affirmation of the increasing confidence Nigerians have in our electoral process. The Commission will continue to ensure that this confidence is sustained,” he said
