By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A total of 276,767 have so far registered in the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR) exercise in Anambra State.

This is according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Festus Okoye.

The commissioner, who addressed journalists in Awka on Saturday, insisted that the exercise would close on Sunday, July 31st as scheduled.

He said that the commission would at the end of the exercise scrutinise the voters’ registers to clean up possible incidents of multiple registrations, print the various permanent voters cards (PVC), display voters registers across the 774 local government areas and polling units, among other activities.

According to him, the commission would make available all the PVCs for those who registered or carried out voters transfers between January to June 2022 on October 2022, while those who enrolled between July 1st to July 31st 2022 would receive theirs by November 2022, at various local government offices of INEC.

Okoye thanked stakeholders in Anambra State for supporting the commission throughout the period of the exercise, saying that with their efforts, INEC staff were able to device and execute the projects successfully among the populace by locating places like markets, churches, events and communities with larger populations.

He added: “We deployed a total of 110 INEC development devices to Anambra. 10 malfunctioned. 6 were repaired by our in house engineers and redeployed back to fields. In Anambra State, we trained some of our staff to assist in carrying out the exercise. We isolated those for transfer, replacement, and others. We trained our staff to assist in rendering the various services.

“We extracted clear protocol on how to carry out voters transfer, voters review and replacements to mitigate the surging crowd. We isolated places to carry out intervention; and we took machines to markets, churches, NUJ, NYSC orientation camp and other places where there are large concentration.

“For complaints, we created a desk for people to voice out their complaints. Over 50 complaints were received and treated. We carried intervention at 82 locations.”

While responding to question on the commission’s level of preparations for the 2023 general elections, Okoye said they were determined to conduct free, fair and credible polls, adding that the commission would train presiding officers and security officers on how to curb electoral malfeasance such as impersonation, vote trading and buying.

Reacting on the development, the Labour Party (LP), Candidate for Anambra Central Senatorial District in the 2023 general election, Senator Victor Umeh, appealed to the Commission to extend the exercise to another three months again.

He said the extension will enable those that would attain the age of 18 years before the slated date for the election proper to get their Voters card.

Umeh, the former APGA National Cahirman made the appealed, on Saturday evening, while speaking to journalists, at the Golden Tulip Hotel Agulu, Anambra State.

He said: “The exention would enable Nigerians who are expected to clock 18 years from July 31st 2022 to get their voters card to exercise their civil right.

“I am not opposing the decision of the electoral body but I am only appealing, because the election is February-March, 2023, that is 7-8 months today. So there is still time for the process.”

He further hailed INEC for the huge success of the exercises so far.

Update news