Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the devolution of the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) to the 326 wards in Anambra State ahead of the November 6 governorship election.
INEC said the move is to ensure that fresh voters who wished to transfer their registration to Anambra State or from one part of the state to another are given the opportunity to do so and to complete the process ahead of the election.
A statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, signed by the national commissioner and chairman, information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye, said the exercise would begin on Monday, 30th August, 2021 and end on Sunday 5th September, 2021.
Okoye said this is in addition to the existing 21 local government area offices and the state head office where physical registration is currently taking place, adding that it brings the total number of registration centres in the state to 348.
In compliance with the provision of Section 9(5) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), Okoye said voter registration shall stop not later than 60 days before an election. He explained that the exercise in Anambra State would be suspended by 6th September 2021.
Okoye said this would enable the commission to clean up the data, compile the register, make copies available to political parties, print the permanent voters cards (PVCs) for collection by registered voters and prepare two copies of the register for each of the 5,720 polling units ahead of the election.
The statement reads in part: “Consequently, in addition to our Local Government and State offices, those who wish to register in-person or physically can now do so at the Registration Area (Ward) level throughout the State from 30th August to 5th September 2021.
“Those who have done the online pre-registration must also complete the physical registration within those dates if they wish to vote in the forthcoming Governorship election.
“The commission will suspend the physical registration of voters in Anambra State from 6th September 2021 until after the Governorship election.
“From the online registration of voters, the commission has identified 580 pre-registrants who booked for an appointment to complete their registration after 5th September 2021. We have contacted each one of them by e-mail and rescheduled them within the dates earmarked for the devolved exercise.”
He said the commission has also given them the option to choose another date within that period if the date proposed is not convenient for them.
Credit: Leadership