Ondo Election: Observers Want INEC to Extend Voter Registration

James Sowole in Akure.

The Coalition of Accredited Observers for the just-concluded Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in Ondo State on Monday appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the period for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the state to accommodate more prospective voters.

The call by the observers also coincided with similar one made by several callers who participated on call in programmes of different radio stations on the exercise aimed at capturing those who did not register initially or those who just attained the required 18 years of age.

The coalition’s appeal was contained in statement signed by the leader of the team, Victor Kalu, in Akure, Ondo state capital, asking INEC to deploy more data capture machines across the state to fast-track the entire process because the people waiting for the exercise seem overwhelming.

According to the group, the exercise which commenced on Wednesday, June 22 to Sunday, June 26, recorded a large turnout of voters but lamented the slow pace and ineffectiveness of the data capture machines.

“The registration was marred by very slow and ineffective machines, especially on the first and second day of the exercise. The daily late commencement of this exercise across the state is yet another worrisome case affecting the registration of people.

“There was an obvious concentration and deployment of machines in low populated areas with the very high populated areas suffering shortage of machines and manpower.

“The exercise was not without rancour and little violence in some places as a result of various party agents insisting and struggling to ensure that only their party members and supporters registers first. There was also a malfunction of the capturing machines and printers in most of the registration centres visited by our team,” he said.