The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the time for the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in the Southeast.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Enugu State, Dr. Emeka Ononamadu, spoke in Enugu during INEC engagement with critical stakeholders on the ongoing fourth quarter of CVR.
The fourth quarter CVR registration started on April 12 in Enugu State.
Ononamadu said INEC had graciously added more time on days for the CVR registration in the Southeast to accommodate for the Monday’s disruption, adding: “It is now from 9am to 5pm, but previously from 9am to 3pm.”
The REC, however, attributed the low turnout for CVR registration to fear, insecurity and some people with the old stereotype of votes not counting.
He appealed to electoral stakeholders to mobilise more registrants to participate in the exercise in Enugu State.
Ononamadu lamented that the registration figure of Enugu State had remained low, noting: “After three quarters of CVR registration, we are having about 31,000 in Enugu State.”
He said: “In this fourth quarter CVR registration, INEC will move its CVR registration to political wards and open up more means of polling units’ transfer, especially for the newly-created 1,000 polling units in the state.
“The new polling units will make polling booths closer, polling activities seamless and easy; while INEC will publish the new polling units by next week and paste it in public places in the state.
“We have done only 3,000 transfers in the state and our people should make more transfers to the new polling units to reduce distance and cumbersomeness.
“I am appealing to the media, traditional rulers, presidents-general, religious leaders and youth leaders to help us mobilise and enlighten our people on the need to go for their CVR registration.”
The Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, said the state needed to do better in the ongoing CVR, to positively influence the electoral system.
