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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said after application 7,043,594 Nigerians did not finish the voter registration process before the deadline for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
According to INEC, only 3,444,378 out of 10,487,378 eligible voters went for physical registration after completing the online pre-registration process.
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The Commission through a statement by its INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, revealed about 4,161,775 persons attempted the online pre-registration process but failed to complete it and instead went for the physical registration.
He also said about 2,881,819 persons finished the online pre-registration but failed to complete the Biometric Capture at assigned centres ahead of the deadline.
Responding to the allegations that seven million Nigerians were withheld from completing their registrations, Festus Okoye said:
“The attention of the Commission has been drawn to media reports that some seven million Nigerians who applied for online pre-registration as voters during the last nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) were denied the opportunity to complete their registration and consequently the collection of their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs). This claim is misleading.”
“To set the record straight, Nigerians may recall that on 28th June 2021, the Commission introduced the online pre-registration of voters. By doing so, citizens were given the opportunity to commence the registration online and then book for an appointment at their convenience to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centres. It was a novel idea leveraging on technology to ease the registration process.”
“This was in addition to the walk-in option at physical centres, where Nigerians can commence and complete their registration simultaneously without going through the online pre-registration procedure.
“In the interest of transparency, the Commission provided weekly statistical updates on the exercise.”
“For the online pre-registration, a total 10,487,972 commenced the process. However, by the deadline of the exercise, 3,444,378 Nigerians completed their pre-registration physically at the designated centres in line with the Commission’s policy. Some 7,043,594 applicants did not complete the registration.”
“Again, the Commission made the information public. This is what some people are now using to say that they were denied the opportunity when in reality they failed to either complete the online enrolment or appear physically at the designated centres to complete the process.”
“Therefore, it is clear that no Nigerians were deliberately denied the opportunity to complete their online pre-registration.”
“We appeal to citizens to always adhere to timelines as against the endless agitation for eleventh-hour extension of set deadlines”.
Source: The Nation