Stakeholders urge INEC to take continuous voter registration to hinterlands

April 27, 2017

By Ijendu Iheaka

Stakeholders in Aba have called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to move the continuous voter registration exercise which began on Thursday to the polling units to ensure effectiveness.

They said that it would not be easy for people in the hinterlands especially young people who just came off age to pay their way to the local government headquarters to do the voter registration.

The stakeholders made the call on Thursday at stakeholders' fora organised by INEC at different local government councils in Aba to sensitize people about the ongoing exercise.

Chief White Ibe, Acting Chairman, APC, Aba North said he appreciated the forum and promised to do his best to make the exercise a success.

“As we are leaving this place, I am going to inform the party leaders, ward chairmen and others so that everybody will come out especially those who have not reach age 18 during the last registration to register.

“I believe it is going to be fruitful if we do all that we need to do but I am appealing to INEC to take this exercise to the polling units instead of calling people to come to the local government headquarters, it will be more effective that way. That is my appeal,” he said.

Ibe urged INEC to reduce the suffering most registered voters in Aba undergo by arranging the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) according to the polling units and wards to ease collection. 

Elder Israel Aguwa, PDP Chairman for Aba North promised to help ensure the success of the continuous registration but added that it should also be made to reach the grassroots to succeed.

 The Aba North INEC Electoral Officer, Mrs Nnennaya Ama said the continuous registration was needed to enable registration of people below 18 in 2015 and those who had problems with their registration.

She said that many people have registered and INEC knows what to do with regards to the stakeholders' request to take the exercise to the hinterlands.

She said her office has PVCs not yet collected but added that people were coming to collect their PVCs from the INEC office.

 The Aba South INEC Electoral Officer, Mrs Chiebonam Ojembe urged registered voters in Aba South to come and collect their PVCs.

She said that Aba South has the largest volume of cards lying at the Abia state INEC office and wondered how people voted in the 2015 elections adding that 2019 elections would not be business as usual. 

She said that the PVC collection had started on 27 March 2017 while the continuous registration was beginning today to enable people be ready for 2019 elections.