BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
Continuous Voters’ Registration leading to the 2023 general elections begins nationwide today. The exercise represents a very important aspect of the processes of conducting free, fair and credible elections which the voting populace and observers locally and internationally have been yearning for.
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, last week while preparing grounds for the take off of this exercise, said that the Commission is targeting a minimum of 20 million additional registrants in this exercise to increase the total number of voters nationwide to 100 million ahead of the 2023 general elections.
As at the time of this report, the INEC website has a total of 84,004,084 registered voters spread across the country in 176,846 Polling Units
Prof Yakubu maintained that with the launch of the online Voter Registration portal and deployment of over 2000 mobile physical registration equipment, the commission’s target to enrol about 100 million voters ahead of the 2023 general election is a mission possible.
The implications are that the electoral umpire is working hard to see that no stone is left unturned in ensuring that the greater number of the voting populace are availed the opportunity to perform their civic responsibility. That way, the 2023 general elections will witness minimal amount of complaints by eligible voters of being denied their voting rights for failure to be registered.
And in a bid to realise this and other objectives, the INEC recently created additional Polling Units nationwide to accommodate the anticipated number of voters. According to the Chairman, “The expansion of voters’ access to polling units prepares the ground for the discharge of another important responsibility of the Commission. The registration of eligible Nigerians as voters is one of the immediate tasks before the Commission.”
Prof Yakubu disclosed that the Commission was introducing a portal to enable eligible Nigerians to commence registration as voters online before completing the exercise physically at designated centres nationwide.
The electoral umpire received commendations from the political parties, analysts and commentators on these bold steps towards the 2023 general elections but was also advised not to allow these efforts end up as window dressing.
Constitutional lawyer, Mr. Mike Merenini, said the creation of additional Polling Units nationwide and the Continuous Voters’ Registration exercise are commendable steps but can only be effective if major processes towards the 2023 general elections are put in place.
“INEC in doing these, has shown commitment to conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2023 but the creation of additional Polling Units nationwide and the Continuous Voters’ Registration exercise are part not whole process towards a free, fair and credible elections. For this to be achieved INEC should press on the National Assembly to enact every necessary law appropriate for the conduct of elections.”
According to Prof Yakubu, “This is first time a major exercise of this nature is handled partially online consistent with the Commission’s commitment to continue to deepen the use of technology in the electoral process in Nigeria.”
It then follows that INEC is ready to break new grounds in the electoral history of Nigeria and would want to go a step further by adding electronic voting because people that can register electronically can equally vote electronically, as such INEC should endeavour to push for electronic voting and make it a reality if not in 2023, but in subsequent elections.
The INEC boss was emphatic when expressing the desire to have this exercise record a huge success and noted that the media has a major role to play because it takes awareness to create interest.
“We intend to undertake the CVR exercise over a period of at least one year. The success of the exercise depends to a considerable extent on citizens’ awareness through voter education.”
Simply put, Prof Yakubu recognized that as the CVR exercise begins today nationwide, Nigerians of all walks of life have a responsibility either to register if they have not or publicise the exercise.
“There will be new registrants, requests for intra-state and inter-state transfers as well as the replacement of voters’ cards as provided by law. Furthermore, with the relocation of voting points to undeserved areas as autonomous polling units, there is need for massive publicity so that citizens are familiar with their voting locations well ahead of all forthcoming elections. We appeal for your partnership to achieve this,” Yakubu noted.
