From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja and Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has approved the extension of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Edo and Ondo states scheduled to end Thursday, till Sunday June 9, to enable more eligible persons to register for the off-cycle governorship elections in the states.
The Commission, which took the decision after its meeting on Tuesday, further disclosed that the duration of the exercise had also been extended from 9.00am to 5.00pm daily.
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement, noted that the number of centres had been increased beyond the 397 wards, and the two state offices in Benin City and Akure to include all the 36 local government offices of the commission in the two states.
According to the statement, “The commission met on Tuesday. Among other matters, the meeting reviewed the ongoing CVR in Edo and Ondo states scheduled to end Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
“However, following appeals by stakeholders, the Commission has approved the extension of the exercise from Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 9, 2024, to enable more eligible persons to register. Similarly, the duration of the exercise is extended from 9.00am to 5.00pm daily.
“Furthermore, the number of centres has been increased beyond the 397 wards, and the two state offices in Benin City and Akure to include all the 36 local government offices of the Commission in the two states.
“More machines will also be deployed to areas identified to have peculiar needs, such as difficult terrain or communal issues. Like the ward registration centres, detailed information on the names and location addresses of the LGA offices have also been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for the guidance of registrants in the two states,” the statement read.
Giving an update on the ongoing registration, the commission noted that, “the exercise is progressing well in the two states. As at Monday, June 3, 2024, eight days after the commencement of the CVR, a cumulative total of 120,458 new voters have registered. Of this figure, 55,861 (46.4 percent) are male while 64,597 (53.6 percent) are female.
“Majority of the registered voters (82,003 or 68.8 percent) are youths between 18 and 34 years. In terms of occupation, 43,419 or 36.8 percent) are students, while 812 (0.67 percent) are Persons with Disability (PWDs). The public should please note that these are preliminary figures. The final figures will be published on a state by state basis and for all categories of registrants at the end of the exercise, and after data clean-up using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). The Commission once again appeals to eligible voters to seize the opportunity of the extension to register, transfer, or correct personal information on their PVCs as provided by law. No further extension will be granted by the Commission.”