By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Ahead of the June 28 commencement of online registration of voters across Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday conducted a mock registration exercise using the media practitioners as the case study.
According to INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who addressed the media before the mock registration exercise was carried out at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja, the introduction of the online registration is to ensure that electoral activities are conducted in a conducive atmosphere of freedom and safety.
Explaining further Yakubu said: “for an exercise of this nature to be successful, testing our state of readiness and the integrity of the new technology are cardinal aspects of our preparations.
Prompt News Online Abuja Bureau Editor, Harry Awurumibe, being captured by INEC officials during the Mock Online Registration at INEC Headquarters in Abuja, on Thursday, June 24, 2021.
“In addition to our in-house tests, it is my pleasure to invite the media here present to participate in a mock registration exercise at our Media Centre immediately after this press conference so that you can see first-hand how the portal is going to work when it goes live on Monday next week”.
The INEC boss however explained that those who are 18 years and above and have not registered previously and registered voters who have had any problem during accreditation for any past election, with either their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) or their fingerprints not being read by the Smart Card Reader are the main targets for the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise.
Others eligible to participate in the CVR are registered voters who want to transfer their voting location from one place to another; Registered voters who want to correct issues with their data, such as misspelt names, dates of birth and Registered voters whose PVCs are lost or damaged.
“I want to appeal for the understanding and support of Nigerians, especially those who have been keenly awaiting the resumption of the CVR. This is a situation beyond the control of the Commission, given our determination to ensure that electoral activities are conducted in a conducive atmosphere of freedom and safety.
Meanwhile, Yakubu has restated the importance of Voters Register in the democratic elections anywhere in the world, saying he is happy to announce the resumption of the CVR.
According to him: “I am indeed very glad to address you today on the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). As you are aware, the Register of Voters is at the heart of democratic elections. A good register of voters is a precursor to a good election. For this reason, the registration of voters is a major function of the Independent National Electoral Commission under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
“In exercising its powers under the law, the Commission undertook a fresh registration of eligible voters with every General Election until 2011 when the first reliable biometric register of voters was compiled.
“Thereafter, the Commission embarked on intermittent registration of voters on the eve of major elections. However, in April 2017, this Commission for the first time began the implementation of registration of voters on a continuous basis as provided in the Electoral Act. As a result, 14,283,734 new voters were added to the register by the time the process was suspended in August 2018 in order to prepare for the 2019 General Election”, he insisted.
He however said from the consultations, the stakeholders reached a consensus that it is important for the Commission to place a high premium on securing the lives of registrants and staff, as well as the protection of the expensive registration equipment to be deployed for the exercise in the light of the attacks on INEC offices across Nigeria.
Consequently, he said the Commission was advised to adopt a graduated approach to the CVR exercise by starting online, adding that after appraising the situation, the exercise can then proceed physically at State and LGA offices before finally deploying to all the 2,673 centres nationwide.
He said based on this advice, the Commission decided to adopt a roll-out and roll-back approach to the exercise such that the registration centres will not only be accessible but safe and secure.
Yakubu posited that after a careful consideration of these suggestions, the Commission has decided to modify the schedule for the CVR as follows:
