From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registers 71,039 additional prospective voters in Delta State in the ongoing continuous voters’ registration (CVR) exercise.
According to the Administrative Secretary of the commission, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, who addressed newsmen yesterday on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Baritor Kpagih, the figure comprised 39,749 males and 31,290 females.
Oriaran-Anthony said the first quarter of the CVR exercise which started in the state on April 28, ended last Thursday, adding that the second quarter would commence on August 1 when the printing of the permanent voters’ cards (PVC) of the new registrants would commence.
She allayed fears in some quarters that the exercise has ended, stating that between now and August 1, a number of activities have been packaged to update the voter register, adding that the 71,039 would definitely drop as the system would automatically identify and eliminate double registration.
Names of the new registrants, she said, would be displayed for hearing of possible claims and objections from the public at the different registration centres across the 25 local government areas of the state.
“This is an important aspect of the process as our officers will be on ground to listen to claims arising from the collated data. This is the opportunity to go through and ensure that names and all other details are properly captured without errors before the register and PVCs are eventually printed.
“This process will last for seven days and I am using this opportunity to call on the people of the state to make good use of the opportunity the display provides to cross check that their names, ages, address PUs and other details are well captured. It is also an opportunity to raise any objection to any name if any,” she said.
Oriaran-Anthony disclosed that because of the challenges of distance and terrain, additional 12 registration centres were approved for Delta State mid way into the first quarter, adding that this would be sustained in the second quarter of the exercise.