INEC boosts voter registration in Edo State

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has mandated the deployment of more voter registration machines to several centers in Edo State to expedite the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, process.

Yakubu who was speaking during his visit to registration centers in Benin on Thursday, Yakubu commended the high turnout of prospective registrants and assured them that INEC is committed to making the registration process as smooth as possible.

At the Western Boys Secondary School, Ward 2, Ikpoba Okha LGA, Yakubu directed the mobilization of two additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, machines, bringing the total to five machines at the center.

“The most important thing is for us to expedite the process. Tomorrow, there will be two additional machines to this center to make it five machines,” he stated.

“There are two queues. One is for registration, the other one is for transfer and collection of cards. So they are going to reorganise the queues. But I’ve seen the numbers here, and one of the solutions is to increase the number of machines to this centre,” he said.

Also at the INEC Ikpoba Okha LGA Office, Yakubu directed that additional registration machines should be deployed to the centre. He also monitored the exercise at Eweka Primary School in Use Ward 3, Egor LGA.

Yakubu, however, warned staff of the commission against demanding for money before registering anybody who presented himself or herself for the exercise.

On observation that some political parties were trying to hijack the exercises in their favour of their supporters, Yakubu said that the commission would be meeting with the state commissioner of Police and other security agencies in the state to address the concern.

“My message consistently is that all the staff engaged in the registration, whether they are ad hoc staff or regular staff, should know that no one should collect money from any Nigerian who comes to register or transfer or request for replacement of cards.

“This is a service paid for by the federal government of Nigeria and it must be respected. Where we catch any staff involved in this act, that staff will be dealt with, whether the staff is regular staff or ad hoc staff,” Yakubu said.

Earlier, some of the prospective registrants on the queue who commended INEC for the exercise, urged the commission to mobilise more registration machine to fast track the registration process.

Mrs Sliver Angela and Mr Oluwasegun Oketoki at the registration centre located at INEC Ikpoba Okha LGA Office, who said they came out as early as 5am to register, called for deployment of more machines to the centre

“Most of us came here since 5.30. The machine was not working fast.

“The INEC staff are trying to coordinate us but some of us are pushing to boycott the line. That is what is delaying us. Now they are attending to us and everything is going on smoothly.

“If there is any alternative to bring additional machines, let INEC do so,” Angela said.

Mrs Blessings Uwagwe at Eweka Primary School, also complained about the delay in the process and the need for more machines to be deployed as more people are coming out to register.

Mr Oransaiye Nicolas said initially one machine was deployed to the centre, but following their complaints, additional two machines were mobilised to the centre.

Nicolas commended the new directive by Yakubu that additional machines should be deployed to the centre, saying to will quicken the process.

Meanwhile, an INEC ad hoc Staff, Mr Oladele Emmanuel, an NYSC corps member deployed for the registration exercise at the centre said no challenge with the functionality of the registration machines.