From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed June 28 to resume the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise ahead of the 2023 elections.
Its chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday.
The commission earlier targeted the resumption of the exercise in the first quarter of 2021.
Yakubu said the target was not met as a result of some activities, such as the introduction of new systems to ensure the registration is in line with COVID-19 guidelines, expansion of voter access to polling units and introduction of new voter registration equipment and technology.
“Effective from Monday 28,June 2021, the CVR exercise will commence nationwide and carried out continuously for over a year until the third quarter of 2022. However, emphasis will initially be on Anambra State where more centres will be established in view of the governorship election already scheduled for Saturday, 6th November 2021.
“In order to complete preparations for the governorship election, the CVR exercise in the state will be temporarily suspended in August 2021. This will enable the commission to clean up the data for the state and print the PVCs (permanent voter cards) for registrants.
“As time goes on, the commission will provide more details on the CVR exercise, particularly the innovations that will ensure a safe and stress-free experience for registrants. In doing so, we will fully consult stakeholders. In fact, the first in the series of these consultations will take place after the Easter break.”