INEC Commences Voter Registration Process In Edo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in Edo State on Monday.

The exercise aims to capture would-be voters who have yet to register ahead of the governorship election in Edo on September 21.

Naija News gathered that the CVR and the PVC collection would be a 10-day exercise from May 27 to June 5, 2024, from 9 am to 3 pm daily, including weekends.

Despite a call from the state acting chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Jarret Tenebe, on Friday, to cancel the exercise due to the damage to its secretariat, materials, and equipment meant for CVR, it proceeded as scheduled.

In response to the call, Edo INEC’s head of Voters Education and Publicity, Timidi Wariowei, expressed dissatisfaction, stating that it is unjust to accuse the electoral body in this manner.

The CVR exercise, monitored in Oredo, Egor, and Ikpoba-Okha local governments, indicated that PVC collection was also progressing alongside the continuous voter registration exercise.

At the registration site in Ikpoba-Okha, Rhoda Gumus, the INEC National Commissioner overseeing Edo, Delta, and Cross River, expressed contentment with the ongoing exercise and urged registrants to wait patiently as their registrations were processed.

Gumus said, “We have been to Oredo, and we are here at the Ikpoba-Okha registration area, which we are using as our state head office registration centre because of the flood disaster that happened at our head office on Friday.

“We are in touch with other registration areas within and outside Benin, and the exercise is going on smoothly. As you can see, we have registered some people, and others are still waiting. The process just started today. It is impressive and commendable.“

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Anugbum Onuoha, affirmed that INEC was adequately prepared for the exercise, emphasizing that the flood disaster, which damaged some of the commission’s equipment, would not hinder the operation.

Onuoha said, “We thank God for the enablement to begin this exercise, having in mind the flood disaster that destroyed some of our equipment on Friday. Due to the flood disaster, we moved our head office registration area to the INEC office at Ikpoba-Okha local government.

“We are here and witnessing a large turnout of people who are here as either new registrants or to transfer their registration or for PVC collection. INEC is prepared for this exercise and nothing will make us fail. People expected us to discontinue the exercise but we were prepared even before the flood disaster happened.

“Yes, we had some initial network problems, but it has been resolved, and the exercise is going on smoothly, and by the grace of God, the exercise will be successful.”