The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the House of Representatives ask to extend the deadline for voters registration and by doing this, INEC Said they may deploy additional machines and ad hoc staff.
Chairman, House Committee on INEC, Rep Aisha Duku, said this while addressing the House on the outcome of its meeting with INEC on Wednesday in Abuja.
The House of Reps had on June 15 directed that the committee should meet with the electoral umpire following a motion by Rep. Benjamin Kalu (APC-Abia). And from there, the house say that INEC should extend the voter registration by 60 days.
Duku in her submission, said the electoral umpire agreed on all its resolutions, including the extension of voters registration.
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"INEC told the committee that the registration days would now include weekends with additional hands to ensure a smooth exercise also all the prayers contained in the motions were approved". She added.
Kalu said in April, INEC declared that about 42 per cent of the voter registrations recorded since the commencement of CVR on 28 June, 2021, were invalid with about 20 million unclaimed Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
He added that the large number of unregistered eligible voters, willing to be registered as evidenced by crowd seen at various registration centres, had resulted in congestion.
Kalu also stated that if nothing was done to improve the shortage of voter registration equipment, and extend the deadline for voters registration, millions of Nigerians would be disenfranchised, which would jeopardise the integrity of the 2023 general elections.
As part of its resolution, the house, therefore mandated the Committee on Electoral Matters to engage INEC, to examine and proffer solutions to the shortage of registration machines and manpower.
The House also urged INEC to deploy an additional 30 voters registration machines in each local government area, train and deploy ad hoc staff to improve the shortage of manpower at registration centres.
The House resolved that security should also be provided for the staff and report back within two weeks
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