EU: Why We’re Interested in Nigeria’s Voter Registration

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The European Union (EU), yesterday, explained that its interest in the ongoing campaign for voter registration in Nigeria was not more than getting more youths participate in electioneering and governance matters

Also, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has alerted prospective registrants that, there would be no issuance of new Permanent Voter Cards till January next year, although election starts in February, adding that, its immediate concern at the moment was the distribution of PVC of those that registered since 2019.

At the same time, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, has said if 60 percent of Nigerian youths, which consists of 29 million registered voters, voted in next year’s elections, they would determine the new set of leaders by 2023.

Speaking at the preconcert briefing of the Youths Vote Count Conference taking place at the old parade ground, Area 10, Abuja, the Programme Director, of the EU, Laolu Olawumi, said they had no partisan interest, but only to ensure that youths got involved in areas of governance.

The EU Director of Programme said at the press conference that, “We only want people to get their PVCs and vote in subsequent elections. We have no partisan interest.”

She further said the European Union was standing with  INEC and government of Nigeria by ensuring that the 60 per cent of the youth, which consisted more than 29 million voters, was to ensure that the youths were captured in the voter register and vote at subsequent elections

“We want the young people to be engaged during electioneering processes. Our action is non-partisan but to get the youth in issues of elections and possibly, governance. Let’s help  the youth get their permanent voters card  (PVC) and let them  come out and vote during election.

“What we are doing today is not new. We did it in Lagos and also in six cities from the six universities in the six geopolitical zones during the 2019 general election.

“Going toward, we are connecting with people that are not in the universities. The concert is fully supported by INEC. The objective is to get people to be on the INEC register and vote during election,” she stated.

Itodo, also, imagined what would happen in Nigeria at subsequent elections, if the youths were registered as voters and armed with their PVC.

According to him, “If 29 million of the voters that are youths vote, they will determine the next set of leaders for Nigeria,” urging the youth to register collect their PVC and get ready to vote.

In a data made available to THISDAY, Yiaga Africa said, in 2019,  84,004. 084, which represented 86.63 per cent  of the PVCs was collected, but only 29, 364,209 , or 35 per cent voted, out of which  26.7 million voted in the governorship election or 32 per cent.

Of this, Itodo explained that, 12.192, 850, or 28 per cent were youth voters.

In the current continuous voter registration exercise, as at January this year, he said1,390,519, out of which 1,093, 834  or 78 per cent had registered, urging the youth to use the window of the registration of voters, so that they could make their views count.

He said in the last musical concert that took place in Lagos, over 11000 of new voters were added, stressing that the essence of the concert was to mobilise youths in the language they understood.

He, therefore, urged  INEC to extend the registration, as “Extending the registration is to encourage the youths – more citizens to participate and it will give more legitimacy to the electioneering process and governance.”

INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Information, Victor Aluko, on his part, said the objective of the musical concert was to get the youths to get their PVC and enable the youths to vote during elections, and called on the youths to get involved with voter registration than being active only on social media activities.

Also, the representative of INEC chairman and FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yahaya Bello, reiterated that the CVR would end June 30, saying 50 machines were deployed for the processes of Voter registration in Area 10 Garki, Abuja.

Bello, who noted that the PVCs would not be ready now, added that, “the PVCs we are distributing are that of 2019 and 2018. PVCs of now will be ready in 2023.”