The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has concluded arrangements to begin the physical registration of voters in the 18 Local Government Areas of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Emmanuel Hart, said that 9,261 Cross River residents have enrolled in the online voter pre-registration.
Dr Hart stated that the physical registration would be held across its local government area offices and the headquarters in Calabar.
He explained that “the physical registration, which was moved forward to Monday July 26, would be for those who could not register online.
“The online voter pre-registration, which was the first of its kind, has proven to be widely acceptable and user friendly and yielding results as a total of 752,011 Nigerians have registered nationwide out of which 9,261 enrolled in Cross River State as of Monday July 19.”
“In Cross River, the physical registration will be carried out in the state office and the 18 local government offices from Monday to Friday except public holidays. The exercise will begin daily from 9am to 3pm (local time), each day.
The REC further said that the exercise would be rounded off in the third quarter of 2022 to enable the Commission adequately prepare for the 2023 election.
Security assurance
Similarly, the Chairman of the Cross River State Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security and Commissioner for Police, Sikiru Akande, told Journalists after a closed door meeting, that there would be adequate security during the registration process.
Akande, who was in company of other security chiefs and REC, said, “the security agencies in Cross River State have put together resources to support the physical registration process.
“Security personnel are determined to make the registration process peaceful and hitch-free.”
“We are sounding a note of warning to anyone or group of persons that would be thinking of causing any trouble as this process is about to begin. We will not tolerate any form of disturbances at the registration centres. We are all set and urge all law abiding citizens to conduct themselves peacefully.
“Anyone caught fomenting trouble during and around the venues of the voter registration exercise would be severely dealt with,” the CP stressed.
Highlight of the meeting was a demonstration of the physical registration process, which included image and biometric capture of the registrants.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
