CONTINUOUS VOTER REGISTRATION: INEC MEETS WITH THE MEDIA ….. Raises security concerns, need for increased voter awareness

Oru Leonard

THE Independent National Electoral Commission Management headed by the INEC boss, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu met on Monday met with media executive and the INEC Press Corps to brainstorm on the possibility of achieving an election of global excellence.

The INEC boss in his remarks thanked the media and called for elaborate coverage of the late Continuos Voter Registration (CVR), which starts on June 28.

The Director IT of the Commission, Engr Chidi Nwafor also used the occasion to demonstrate the procedure for the proposed online registration as well as present the new INEC Voter Enrollment Device, which he disclosed was more than 2,600.

It was in the meeting that INEC will start the online registration two weeks before the physical registration, just Prof Mahmoud  expressed fears over Nigeria’s worsening security problems.

The election management body said it was particularly concerned about threats of kidnapping as it prepares for the Continuous Voter Registration ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Yakubu said, “We are concerned about the security issues in some parts of the country. The commission would be deploying 5,346 officials to 2,673 registration centers. What happens if any of these staff is abducted?

“Our responsibility is to conduct credible elections and also protect our staff. The security agencies are also facing challenges and there have been concerns that INEC officials might be targets of criminals. What then is the best way to deploy these officials and machines while also ensuring their safety.”

The commission also vowed to prosecute Nigerians who supply false information during the registration exercise.