(NAN)
The Movement for Election of Nigeria President of Igbo Extraction has urged staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be punctual and alive to their Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) duties.
The National Convener of the group, Mr Vincent Ezekwueme, made the call in Enugu while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.
Ezekwueme spoke on the sidelines of the commission’s ability to clear the surging number of new registrants trooping in various CVR registration centres nationwide, especially in the South-East.
According to him, INEC leadership should direct its officials to be at the registration centre by 8 a.m. and attend to registrants with civility, decorum and respect.
He noted that it was unfortunately some patriotic citizens, after wasting hours and days without success, had gone home angrily, even as INEC staff attitude had prevented some from registration.
“It will be relevant for the leadership of INEC in various states to pay impromptu visits to CVR registration centres and INEC local government offices for on-the-spot assessment of the predicaments of registrants, registration centres and officials.
“We commend INEC for creating additional registration centres in South-East and other regions of the country.
“But because of the unprecedented upsurge of registrants, more registration centres are needed to ameliorate challenges encountered by the prospective registrants and to bring registration centres closer to the people,” he said.
The convener lauded the unprecedented political awareness of Nigerians to participate in the electoral processes; hence, the need for INEC to expedite actions in the deployment of more staff, provision of adequate registration materials and security.
He called on INEC authorities to probe alleged intimidation and molestation of voters in some states by its staff, “since such despicable act is a great threat to democracy and democratic evolution”.
Ezekwueme said: “We reiterate our earlier appeal for all citizens to obtain their PVC as the only legitimate weapon to elect credible leaders and vote out corrupt, inept and selfish leaders.
“There are tendencies that if these complaints are not resolved and CVR exercise not extended for some months, many citizens may be disenfranchised during the 2023 general elections.
“Good and transparent voter registration precipitates transparent and credible election because, without transparent registration, there will never be a transparent election.
“Hence, the need for INEC, political parties, politicians and stakeholders to play the game according to the rules.”