INEC targets 90% voter registration in Cross River hills, border communities

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is targeting at least 90 per cent voter registration in Cross River’s most difficult terrains as the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise progresses.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Gabriel Yomere, disclosed this during an interview, noting that several communities in the northern hills and along the Cameroon border remain largely inaccessible.

“There are areas you cannot reach with a bicycle, not even a motorcycle, and it’s cumbersome for our staff,” Yomere said. “We are working with civil society organisations to ensure people in these areas are not disenfranchised.”

He said INEC was relying on partnerships with civil society organisations (CSOs) and support from local governments to reach the remote communities.

“With their help, we are hoping to gain access to these people one way or the other and register at least 90 per cent of them,” he added.

To scale up mobilisation, the commission said it had intensified radio jingles at the local government level and was sharing staff itineraries with council authorities to facilitate ward-to-ward registration across the state’s 196 wards.

Yomere also urged political parties to take ownership of the process.

“Politicians should appreciate that they are the beneficiaries. The more people register, the more members will come out to vote for them,” he said.

He charged local government chairmen and party leaders to understand the significance of the CVR exercise to voting strength and revenue derivation, warning against a “nonchalant attitude” towards the exercise.