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From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Gombe State has stated that only 4,603 applications have been recorded so far in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, far below figures from other states such as Osun and Yobe which have surpassed 30,000 each.
This was disclosed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Saad Umar Idris, while speaking during his maiden stakeholders’ meeting organised by INEC on Tuesday in Gombe.
He warned that the state is lagging behind and called on stakeholders, especially political parties, civil society organizations, traditional and religious leaders to intensify awareness campaigns to boost participation.
According to him, the 4,603 completed applications in Gombe consist of 543 pre-registrations, 1,278 reviews, 920 transfers or updates, and 1,519 physical registrations.
He said, “this clearly shows that more needs to be done in terms of awareness. We cannot achieve success in isolation as a Commission. Stakeholders must cascade this information to their followers, particularly those in rural areas”.
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He explained that the CVR exercise, which began online on August 18 and in-person on August 25, is targeting Nigerians aged 18 and above who have never registered, voters seeking transfers of polling units, those correcting personal details on their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and individuals requiring reprints of defaced or mutilated cards.
The REC also cautioned against multiple registrations, describing it as an electoral offense punishable by law.
Idris assured that all eleven INEC local government offices in the state, alongside the state headquarters, are open for the exercise. He further encouraged eligible voters to make use of the Commission’s online platform, https://www.cvr.inecnigeria.org, describing the process as “seamless and self-explanatory”.
He said INEC would soon roll out sensitization campaigns through roadshows, jingles, and media platforms to increase participation. “As REC, I am here to serve the people of Gombe by ensuring free, fair, credible, and inclusive elections. The earlier people register, the earlier their PVCs will be ready for collection,” he added.
