Nigerians have been urged to come out en masse to register their voters' cards to enable them participate in the forthcoming electoral process.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) currently on-going across the nation would be temporarily stopped 60 days to the commencement of the 2019 general elections.
He, however, assured that the exercise will resume after the elections. Recall that INEC had slated February 16th, 2019 as date for commencement of the next general elections.
But, the commission in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by Solomon Soyebi, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said the exercise would be suspended due to a change in electoral law.
Soyebi disclosed that so far over four million Nigerians had been registered across the country, in the exercise that began on April 27, 2017.
“The nationwide CVR is to afford all eligible Nigerians, 18 years and above, who did not register in the previous exercise, an opportunity to do so.
“So far over four million have registered across the country.
“The commission wishes to assure all eligible Nigerians that the CVR exercise is designed to continue indefinitely as envisaged by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
“However, as provided for in Section 9 (5) of the Electoral Act (as amended), the CVR will be temporarily suspended 60 days to the commencement of the next General Elections scheduled for February 2019.
“The exercise will resume after the conclusion of the elections.
”The Commission encourages all eligible Nigerians to register at our offices in all local government headquarters and other officially designated areas across the country between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays,” he said.
Soyebi said that full information about the exercise could be obtained at INEC state offices.