INEC flags-off CVR exercise in Lagos

Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, the National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially flagged-off the Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR) exercise in Lagos State.

It was reported that the event was held on Thursday in Lagos at the INEC office in Surulere Local Government Area.

It marked the commencement of CVR exercise nationwide.

Ogunmola, the Supervisory National Commissioner in charge of Ondo, Ogun and Lagos States, urged leaders of political parties to encourage and mobilise their supporters to register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

“This event represents an important milestone in INEC’s mandate to deliver free, fair and credible elections.

“The primary aim of this event is to register eligible voters who have just matured into the voting age of 18 years and those who could not register previously.

“This will afford them to participate in the forthcoming general elections,” he said.

According to him, the aim is also to update voters’ register to reflect transfers and deaths in accordance with Section 10 of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended.

Ogunmola noted that the Act required the commission to update the voters’ register and make it available to every political party within 60 days after each year of registration.

He added: “Uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will be distributed to their owners at the registration centres.

“The local government offices of the commission or any other suitable location designated by the state offices of the commission would be used.”

Ogunmola said that the CVR exercise would be held in all the 774 local government areas of the federation Monday to Friday weekly, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., excluding public holidays.

The supervisory INEC commissioner said eligible persons for the CVR must be citizens who have attained the age of 18 year on or before the registration day.

He said that such person must be resident, working or originally from the local government area or registration ward covered by the registration centre.

According to him, an eligible person must not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote under any law, rules or regulations in force in Nigeria.

He said that those who could not register during the previous registration exercise were also eligible.

Ogunmola said that an eligible person must present himself or herself to the CVR officers for registration and must be able to provide proof of identity, age and nationality, if requested.

He said that the exercise would also take care of persons who had registered before but their names, photographs, finger prints were not captured.

Ogunmola said such persons must provide their Temporary Voter Card (TVC).

He added that the exercise would also address cases of those who had PVC or TVC but their names were not on the register of voters.

“INEC acknowledges the issue of transfer of voters. Therefore, we want to encourage people that have moved to a different location to seize the opportunity that is being provided to transfer their registration.”

The commissioner advised those who were already registered not to do so again as it was an offence to register more than once.

According to him, to facilitate the successful conduct of the CVR, the commission has mobilised a team of four Registration Area Officers and a Distribution officer in the INEC LGA offices.

He said that the Preliminary Register of Voters would be displayed for public scrutiny at registration centres by the end of every quarter before the printing of PVCs is commenced.

Ogunmola said that TVCs would be issued to registrants at the point of registration, adding that PVCs of voters registered in the 1st quarter should be ready for collection in the 3rd quarter.

According to him, the PVCs of voters registered in the 2nd quarter should be ready in the 4th quarter.

He added that cases of lost or omitted PVCs and test of PVCs using Smart Card Reader (SCR) would be attended to.

The commissioner said the exercise would be all year round and urged eligible voters to participate so as not to disenfranchise themselves.