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Tag: Continuous Voter Registration (CVR)

  • 2019: APC embarks on CVR grassroots sensitisation in Ebonyi

    2019: APC embarks on CVR grassroots sensitisation in Ebonyi

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ), has commenced grassroots sensitisation tour to mobilise the electorate in the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi, to register in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration ( CVR ).

     Mr Eze Nwachukwu, Acting APC Chairman in Ebonyi, led other members of the State Working Committee (SWC) to launch the campaign on Friday in Afikpo, Afikpo North Local Government Area.

     Nwachukwu, who addressed the people, said that the sensitisation was in line with the directive from the national headquarters of APC.

     According to him, the exercise is aimed at mobilising , educating and sensitising eligible grassroots voters on the need to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration.

     He said that as the 2019 general elections draw closer, that it was imperative that rural communities were mobilised to fully participate in the ongoing CVR, stressing that bulk of the voters reside in rural areas.

    “Registration and collection of the voter cards is the only qualification to vote in the elections; any eligible voter without his or her voter card will have no business at the polling booths during election,” Nwachukwu said.

    He said that current reforms in the electoral system would make it difficult to rig elections in 2019, assuring the people that their votes must count in the elections.

    “The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has assured Nigerians of commitment to conduct credible elections in 2019.

    “The electronic transmission of election results to be adopted in 2019 will make it difficult to rig in 2019, and this will put election riggers out of business.

    “We are here today to appeal to the people of Afikpo North to go to any INEC office nearest to them and register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    “It is your civic right and obligation to vote and you must resist anything that will deny you opportunity to exercise this important civic duty.

    “We again assure you that your votes will count in 2019. “

    Nwachukwu urged party faithful and APC supporters to ensure that they effectively participate in the CVR exercise and other vital electoral processes.

    He advised the electorate against selling their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and urged them to resist politicians who would come to demand their PVCs in exchange for employment, empowerment or to give them bank loans.

    “It is a criminal offence to engage in selling or buying of voter cards and you must report those found to indulge in such illicit transactions.

    “Your voter card is your property and the only right you have as citizens to exercise your voting rights to elect your leaders; selling it means disqualifying yourselves.

    “There is no rule in the civil service that requires your voter card for employment or empowerment and no bank will require you to submit your voter card to give you loan.

    “You must resist any attempt that will make them disenfranchise you and must report such persons to the Police,” Nwachukwu said.

    He said that the party would constitute local government and ward committees in the 13 local government areas of the state that would be charged with the mandate of door-to-door mobilisation of rural communities to come out and register.

    Meanwhile, the chairman has charged APC faithful in the local government to remain supportive of the party and to work hard to ensure that the party emerged victorious in the area in 2019.

    He announced that the party would commence membership registration, and urged members who were yet to formally register with the party to avail themselves of the opportunity.

    “We have over 18,000 registered members of our great party in Afikpo North and we are opening another window of opportunity to enable members who are yet to formally register to do so.

    “It’s only those with our membership registration cards that will be allowed to participate in voting during the party primaries and congresses,” he added.

    NAN

  • CVR: INEC registers 36,000 in Abia

    CVR: INEC registers 36,000 in Abia

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has registered 36,000 eligible voters during the second quarter of the Continuous Voter Registration ( CVR ) in Abia, an official has said.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr. Joseph Iloh, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Friday.

    Iloh said that he was dissatisfied with the figure, saying that the result meant that the commission had a lot of work to do in the state.

    “With this figure, it means we have a lot of work to do. We must have to gear up if we must meet our target,” he said.

    He said that the target was to register at least two million eligible voters during the CVR in Abia.

    He said that so far, the commission has registered 63,563 eligible voters with 27,285 registered in the first quarter of the exercise.

    He further said that as at Oct. 17, the unclaimed permanent voter cards (PVC) stood at 145,349.

    He said that while Aba South had the highest number of unclaimed PVC’s, totalling 63,353, Obingwa had the least, totalling 320.

    The REC regretted that the CVR in Abia was affected by apathy among the people and difficult terrain, occasioned by erosion.

    He said, “Apathy is a major factor here. Some of the young people have lost confidence in the system due to poverty and unemployment.”

    Iloh said that because of the difficult terrain, many eligible voters in rural communities found it difficult to travel to the registration centres at the council headquarter.

    “The poor state of roads hampers free movement of people from one community to another, especially during the rainy season,” he said.

    According to him, some people from Arochukwu and Ikwuano Local Government Areas, who live close to Akwa Ibom, pay heavily to get to their council headquarters.

    The REC said that in order to check apathy, the commission initiated town hall meetings for confidence building and to educate the people on the far-reaching benefits of voter registration.

    He said that the meeting, which would be organised in the 17 local government areas (LGAs), had already taken place in Obingwa, Isialangwa North and Isialangwa South.

    He said that although the meeting recorded impressive turnout, the target audience, especially the major political leaders in areas, did not attend.

    Iloh said that the commission would carry the advocacy to all councillors, state house of assembly and also pay a courtesy visit on Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu.

    He said that the commission would appeal to the governor to declare one-day public holiday to enable workers in the state get captured and registered for voters.

    Iloh appealed to government functionaries, political leaders, traditional rulers, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, community leaders and religious bodies “to complement our efforts in voter education, sensitisation and confidence building.”

    He expressed the hope that with the level of voter education and enlightenment by the commission, the third quarter of the exercise would record great turnout.

    He said, “The third quarter of the CVR begins on Monday and the commission expects a surge from the people because of the intensive voter education and confidence building advocacy we have done.”

    The REC gave assurance that, “in 2019, every vote must count in Abia.

    “Our advocacy is for people to realise that the voter is king,” Iloh said.

    NAN

  • CVR: INEC flags-off registration in 25 additional centres in Lagos

    CVR: INEC flags-off registration in 25 additional centres in Lagos

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State on Monday flagged-off operations in the 25 additional centres approved for Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the state.

    Flagging off the operations, Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, the National Commissioner of INEC in charge of Ogun, Ondo and Lagos State, said the creation of more centres showed that the commission was responsive.

    He said that the additional centres were put in place in response to the request of stakeholders for decentralisation of the CVR.

    Ogunmola, who inspected three of the centres at Oke-Meta Primary School in Somolu, Ijero Girls’ Junior High School, Lagos Mainland and Akanji Primary School, Surulere, expressed satisfaction with the facilities put in place.

    “We are trying to ascertain the level of our preparedness in our newly created centres in Lagos. In Lagos state, we have been given 25 additional centres.

    “We want to know whether people are sensitised enough and we saw that people have started registering at the new centres already,” the INEC boss said.

    Ogunmola said that the new centres would go a long way to capture many eligible voters before the 2019 general elections.

    “Eligible voters should come out and register to be able to fulfil their civic responsibility. The exercise is a continuous thing, unlike the previous one that would run for few weeks and end.

    “This exercise will run until third quarter of 2018. People have about one and half years to register,” he said.

    According to him, the commission will do everything humanly possible to deliver on its mandate to Nigerians without letting the nation down.

    Also speaking, Dr Mustapha Mudashiru, the Administrative Secretary of the commission in the state, said that INEC would not renege on its commitment to serve the people.

    Mudashiru urged eligible voters to patronise the new centres for registration, adding that the commission would not spare any effort at simplifying the exercise for voters.

    He noted that no fewer than 165 staff members had been trained to man the new centres with adequate facilities to carry out the exercise.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new centres are spread across 13 out of 20 Local Government areas of the state with high population of eligible voters.

    The centres were created in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Alimosho, Eti-Osa, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Mushin, Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, Surulere, and Lagos Mainland Local Government Areas.

    INEC started the nationwide CVR on April 27 to capture those who attained 18 years of age and others who did not register or those seeking replacement, transfer and others.

    The exercise had been limited to only INEC offices in the 20 local government areas of the state before the creation of the new centres.

  • CVR: Lagos gets 25 additional centres

    CVR: Lagos gets 25 additional centres

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State on Thursday said its national headquarters had approved the creation of 25 additional centres for Continuous Voter Registration  (CVR) in the state.

    Dr Mustapha Mudashiru, the Administrative Secretary of the commission in the state, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Mudashiru, who had earlier given a hint of a push for more centres, said the new ones, spread across 13 out of 20 Local Government areas of the state, would become operational from July 3.

    “The commission has graciously approved the creation of additional centres for the ongoing CVR exercise in Lagos State.

    “We have commenced two-day training for the officers that will man these newly created centres which will commence by Monday.

    “Eligible residents of Lagos should go to these centres to partake in the ongoing registration in order to participate in future elections.

    “This will go a long way in reducing crowd at existing centres, because it is one of the challenges we have been facing,” he said.

    According to him, the headquarters of the commission gave the approval to further ease the ongoing registration in the state.

    He said that the centres were created in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Alimosho, Eti-Osa, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Mushin, Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, Surulere, and Lagos Mainland Local Government Areas (LGAs).

    NAN reports that the two additional centres for Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA are situated at Ibafon Primary School Wilmer and LA Primary School, Ojoo Road.

    The three additional centres for Alimosho LGA are situated at African Church Primary School, Tomia, Alagbado; Millennium Senior Secondary School, Egbeda and St. Andrew Primary School, Ipaja.

    In Eti-Osa LGA, the two new centres are at Victoria Island Secondary School and Ikota Primary School, while the only one in Ikorodu LGA is situated at ZI Primary School, Odogunyan.

    The two additional centres for Ifako-Ijaiye LGA are situated at Karaole/Anglican Primary School, College Road and Saint Kizito Primary School, Iju.

    For Ikeja LGA, the two new centres are situated at St. Peter Anglican Primary School, Alausa and Oke-Ira Primary School, Apata St., while the two centres for Ojo LGA are at LA Primary School Iba and Anglican Primary School, Ijanikin.

    The two additional centres for Kosofe are at Agidi Comprehensive High School, Agboyi-Keti and Ikosi High School, Ikosi-Ketu while for Somolu, the only additional centre is at Oke-Meta Primary School, Bajulaye Road.

    In Mushin LGA, three additional centres are situated at AUD Primary School, Itire, Saint Martin’s Primary School, Damengoro Street and Saint Michael Primary School, Abiodun Street.

    The two centres for Oshodi-Isolo LGA are situated at Ajumoni Grammar School, Okota and Oba Morufu Primary School, Ejigbo.

    Surulere LGA has two additional centres located at Enitan Primary School, Aguda and Akanji Primary School, Surulere.

    The INEC boss urged eligible residents to show interest in the exercise to avoid being disenfranchised in future elections.

    INEC started the nationwide CVR on April 27 to capture those who attained 18 years of age and others who did not register or those seeking replacement, transfer and others.

    The CVR exercise had been limited to INEC offices in the 20 local government areas of the state before the creation of new centres, occasioned by the population of eligible voters in those areas.

     

  • APDA backs the call for the restructuring of Nigeria

    APDA backs the call for the restructuring of Nigeria

    The Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) has backed the call to restructure Nigeria, saying it will end agitations by ethnic nationalities and youths across the country.

    Interim Chairman of the party in Anambra, Chief Obunike Ohaegbu, said in Nnewi on Tuesday that a united Nigeria that was discussed and restructured would be a better for everyone.

    He urged the Federal Government to address the issues that were giving rise to the tension in the country.

    As panacea, Ohaegbu suggested that the government should make public the resolutions of the 2014 National Conference and allow citizens decide on it.

    “APDA is saying that we need to restructure Nigeria, that if we restructure Nigeria, every Nigerian will have a sense of belonging.

    “We made our stand clear that we want Nigerians to be allowed to vote on the 2014 national conference.

    “Most, if not all the decisions of the conference, were not voted for; they were arrived at with unanimity.

    “So, as a political party, we are thinking that it should be taken to the people to decide what they want to do with it.

    “If we have the system running, people will not be clamouring for Biafra,” he said.

    Ohaegbu said that the Federal Government should also engage the youths who are heating up the polity in peace talks rather than threatening them.

    According to him, this will be more productive than discussing with elders who have little influence over them.

    The APDA chieftain blamed the political elite for the problems of the youth, saying that the elite equipped youths with i-pads and smart phones “to insult each other while they wined and dined, leaving the youth frustrated”.

    On the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra, he said that the party was ready to take over power from the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

    Ohaegbu said that Anambra people deserved more from what they were getting from APGA government under Gov. Willie Obiano, adding that they could not continue to see government run with propaganda.

    He said that APGA should no longer use the face of late Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu as its logo, adding that it was an insult to him and the Igbo nation.

    “What is it that APGA has done? It has gone to the point that as Ndi-Igbo, we need to come out and be firm that our leader, Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu should not be a logo of any political party.

    “It has to stop. Every APGA billboard you see in Anambra as we speak today has the picture of Ojukwu. Is he the logo of APGA?

    “Ojukwu belongs to Ndi-Igbo; it is an insult for any political party to use Ojukwu as its logo,” he said.

    Ohaegbu urged the electorate in the state and the entire country to endeavour to take part in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

  • INEC to decide on political associations seeking registration Wednesday

    INEC to decide on political associations seeking registration Wednesday

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would on Wednesday disclose its decision on political associations seeking to be registered as political parties.

    Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen at ongoing workshop to review INEC’s Communication Policy, on Monday in Abuja.

    Yakubu said the decision would be made public after the commission meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) scheduled for Wednesday in Kaduna.

    “Let me assure Nigerians that under the Electoral Act, the commission is required to register new political parties and the guidelines are very clear for registration.

    “As at last week we received 95 applications for registration as new political parties.

    “At the end of this workshop there is going to be a retreat on Wednesday to review the ongoing voter registration, followed by a meeting of the commission here in Kaduna.

    “There will be a statement on parties after the meeting of the commission,” Yakubu said.

    He added that the commission would on Wednesday also give an update on the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), after the commission’s meeting with the field officers to review the exercise

    “We will do a mid-quarter review after six weeks and the mid-quarter review will come up here in Kaduna and we will issue our statement here after.”

    Yakubu also disclosed that the commission would extend the CVR in Anambra to ward levels ahead of the state governorship election.

    He added that people who registered in the state before the first quarter 2017 would obtain their Permanent​ Voter Cards (PVCs) before the state governorship election.

    “We will soon announce the date for the commencement of the exercise.

    “So those who have registered under the current CVR and those who will register when we devolve to ward level will all have their PVCs ahead of the election.

    “For those who have registered and are going to vote in Anambra, I want to assure them that they will have their cards. It is for those who have done it in the first quarter of this year.”

    On the pending senatorial district election in Anambra, the chairman said that specific date was yet to be fixed for the election as the case was still in court.

    “You know the matter is before the Court of Appeal.

    “A date was fixed, May 30, but at the court, one of the parties prayed for adjournment to June 12 or June 13.”

  • Double registration: Kogi APC demands Gov Bello’s resignation

    Double registration: Kogi APC demands Gov Bello’s resignation

    The leadership of the Kogi State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has demanded the immediate resignation of the Governor, Yahaya Bello for double voter registration.

    The chapter called on the state’s House of Assembly to proceed with impeachment process against the governor if he failed to resign.

    At a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the party declared that the governor’s action has caused an embarrassment to the entire state and has impugned on the party’s image.

    The chairman of the Kogi APC, Alhaji Hadi Ametuo who briefed spoke on behalf of the party’s executive in the state, said the party would not fold its arms and watch the governor destroy its image and integrity.

    Ametuo described double registration as serious electoral crime that must not be allowed to go unchallenged.

    “This is the kind of crime that the state House of Assembly which enjoys the mandate of the people cannot overlook”

    Other party chieftains at the briefing included Mohammed Ohiare, Ocheja Dangana, Abdulrahman Abubakar and Senator Dino Melaye.

    Melaye, who also spoke at the conference, added that what the governor did underscored the fact that he was not a registered voter in Kogi state in the first place.

    He wondered why Governor Bello accepted the gubernatorial candidacy offer of the APC in the first place.

    The controversial senator representing Kogi West district vowed to mobilise the state assembly for impeachment process against the governor should he fail to resign voluntarily.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had through a statement on Tuesday, accused Governor Bello of registering twice as a voter, an action the commission described as an infraction on the nation’s electoral laws.

    Giving details of the governor’s illegal action, the INEC had stated, “It has come to the attention of INEC that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state registered as a voter for the second time on Tuesday May 23, 2017 in Government House, Lokoja, the state capital.

    “First registration was on January 30, 2011 in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. And the Governor’s double registration and doing so outside INEC’s designated centres are both illegal.

    “For the on-going continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise, INEC has designated a centre in each of the 774 local government areas across the federation, including the FCT’s six area council”.

    The electoral commission had stated that although Section 308(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, restrained it from prosecuting the governor, disciplinary action would be taken against its officials that aided the governor’s double registration.

  • INEC lauds people’s turnout for voter registration in Ebonyi

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commended the turnout of people for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Ebonyi.

    Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, the National Commissioner of INEC, gave the commendation in Abakaliki on Friday.

    He urged prospective voters, who had yet to register, to partake in the CRV, which started on Thursday in all the 13 the Local Government Areas of the state.

    Ibeanu stressed that the exercise was not for those who had registered before and warned against double registration which, he said, was an offence.

    “The exercise is for all those who have attained the age of 18 years after the last voter registration as well as all those who failed to register in the last voter registration due to one reason or the other.

    “INEC is also using the exercise to distribute Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), while attending to those who registered in one place but want to transfer to another location,” he said.

    Ibeanu said that the exercise would hold every day between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays, except for public holidays.

    Mr Charles Mbanaji, Administrative Secretary of INEC in Ebonyi, called on those who were qualified to vote to come out and register.

    “The registration takes place at INEC offices in the 13 local government areas of the state,’’ he said.

    A student, Chukwudi Anajoru, who said that he turned 18 two years ago, recalled that he was unable to register during the last voter registration because of some health challenges.

    “As a result of my health challenges, I could not register then but now, I am ready for the exercise,’’ he said.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that security agents were on hand at the registration centres ensure a hitch-free exercise.

  • Boroffice urges Ondo indigenes to ‘troop out en mass’ for CVR

    Boroffice urges Ondo indigenes to ‘troop out en mass’ for CVR

    The senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice on Monday urged the people of Ondo State to troop out en masse for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the State.

    According to a statement issued by his media aide, Kayode Adeniyi, the exercise is scheduled to take place between Wednesday, June 22 and Sunday, June 26, 2016.

    The senator, in the statement, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), “to embark on the wholly cleansing of the voters’ register and thereafter safeguard the register from desperate politicians whose antecedents have shown the manipulative capacity to hijack and play foul with voters register by injecting invisible voters.”

    “Those persons who did not register in the previous voters’ registration exercise and have reached 18 years and above should endeavour to participate in the CVR exercise. It is also an opportunity for registered voters to transfer their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to preferred polling units.

    “The assurance from INEC on the credibility of the exercise is welcoming. Beyond the assurance, INEC should embark on a general cleansing of the voters’ register and safeguard same.

    “Meanwhile, our people should be reminded that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) remain the only instrument that can enable them to exercise the franchise to determine who governs Ondo State. It represents the power with which workers can change the party which government has made non-payment of salaries a matter of policy. It is also the only instrument with which the people can install a responsible government.

    “I urge the people of Ondo State to troop out en masse to participate in the CVR exercise. They should rise and take charge of the process. I wish them hitch-free registration exercise,” the statement read.