INEC Bows To Pressures, Extends Voter Registration By 60 Days

The independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has bowed to public pressure and extended the ongoing Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR) exercise by 60 days.

INEC’s latest announcement is on the heels of the numerous agitation by several electoral stakeholders asking for the electoral body to extend the CVR exercise.

The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters said INEC agreed to extend the CVR exercise by 60 days.

It will be recall that the House of Representatives last week during one of its plenary sessions urged INEC to extend the deadline for continuous voter registration by 60 days.Consequently, the House directed the House Committee on Electoral Matters to liaise with INEC on the extension.

Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has agreed to extend the ongoing continuous voter registration by 60 days in line with the resolution passed by the House of Representatives.

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon Aisha Dukku, gave the update during Wednesday plenary in response to the point of order raised by the Minority Leader, Hon Ndudi Elumelu.

Hon Elumelu who expressed concern over INEC’s activities frowned at government’s agencies’ disregard to various resolutions passed by the house.

TheSocio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 185 concerned had filed a suite against INEC asking the court to “declare unconstitutional, illegal, and incompatible with international standards the failure of the electoral body to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians to exercise their rights.”
ALSO READ:Fuel Price: Odd World As Abnormal Becomes ‘New Normal’, FG, Marketers, Consumers At Crossroads
It was gathered that Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of Court 10 granted an order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument on motion exparte by SERAP.Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday, June 22, the electoral body reiterated its commitment to comply with the extension of the CVR exercise as ordered by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.Prior to the announcement of the extension of the CVR exercise, streams of prospective electorates flooded different registration points in other to beat the deadline earlier issued by the electoral body.

While giving updates on the meeting with the electoral body, Hon. Dukku, told the green chamber that INEC had agreed to extend the CVR to 60 days.

She said:

“The Committee held a meeting with INEC yesterday (Tuesday) and they agreed to extend the CVR, all our resolutions were approved.”
The House of Representatives also called on the Commission to deploy additional staff and voter registration machines across the country to meet the objective.