On Saturday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) told Nigerians that it would consider requests to prolong the current Continuous Voters Registration programme (CVR).
The INEC also invited Nigerians to participate in the present Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which would end on June 30, 2022, and promised them that “your votes will count” in the general elections of 2023.
However, Oby Ezekwesili, the former Minister of Education, joined a number of Nigerians in requesting that the commission extend the registration deadline due to numerous impediments that people confront.
INEC posted on its Facebook page on Saturday:
“We have heard your requests loud and clear. You will soon hear from us on extension of CVR registration.
“Please assure me that you will register, pick your PVCs and Vote. I also assure you that your vote will count.”
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of INEC, attended a pre-event dinner hosted by the European Union (EU) on Friday at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, which included Nigerian music talents.
He denied that the Commission was “deliberately” barring people from a specific region of the country from enrolling there.
Prof. Yakubu said in a statement on Saturday: “We are concerned like all Nigerians. We are appreciative of the fact that young people and Nigerians generally are trooping out in large numbers to register.
“For us, it’s a measure of confidence that people have in the system and that is why they are coming out to register. We’ll never let young people of Nigeria down. Whatever it takes, we will ensure that those who are seeking to register have the opportunity to do so.”
To meet registration needs, INEC has already deployed over 209 voter enrolment machines to Lagos, Kano, and the South-East area.
