Oyo INEC concludes first phase of Continuous Voter Registration Exercise 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State, has concluded the first phase of the 2021 nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and declared its intention to display the register of new voters in the 33 Local Government areas of the state.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Oyo State, Mutiu Agboke, disclosed this, on Thursday, during a media briefing at the Conference Room, INEC Office, Agodi, Ibadan, the state capital.

During the media briefing about the end of the first phase of the 2021 nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, the Oyo State REC revealed that the exercise has been temporarily suspended from September 21 to October 3, to allow for the display of claims and objections.

While giving an update on the suspended CVR exercise, Agboke noted that the Commission introduced INEC Voter Enrollment Device to facilitate the in-person registration aspect of the exercise and recorded 72,644 pre-registration online statistics. However, only about 27% of the applicants have so far completed both online and in-person registration.

He also highlighted some of the challenges faced during the exercise as the inability of the majority to complete physical registrations, the inability to locate polling unit/ward areas and multiple registrations, among others and mentioned some of the measures taken to address the challenges.

The REC noted: “Having identified some of these challenges, we have had some series of advocacy on voter education enlightenment programmes at both local and state levels. We had various roadshow programmes at various marketplaces and public places with the view of educating the electorate towards the CVR exercise. These activities have tremendously increased the tempo of awareness in the state,  though we still have more grounds to cover in terms of creation of awareness.”

Agboke revealed that the majority of registered voters in the state were yet to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), adding that the Commission is mandated, by law, to publish the register of voters for not less than 5 days and not more than 14 days for citizens to make claims and objections.

The REC said: “In compliance with the law, the register of new voters will be displayed in the 33 LGAs from 24th September to 30th September, 2021. The aim of the display is to enable citizens to assist the Commission in identifying ineligible registrants on the list ahead of the cleaning up of the register before adding the fresh registrants to the current register, ahead of the printing of their Permanent Voters Cards for future reference.”

He concluded that the second quarter of the CVR exercise would begin on October 4 and end on December 20, 2021, urging for sustained cooperation and support from the electorate, in the bid of the Commission to conduct credible, free and fair elections of which a credible register of voters is the foundation.

Nnenna.O