Democracy Network Demands Resumption of Continuous Voter Registration in Nigeria
Ndifereke BASSEY
The Democratic Network (DN) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to accommodate Nigerians who are turning 18 years of age.
The Network, which made the call at the University of Calabar during a forum with students on Challenges and Opportunities for Continuous Voter Registration in Nigeria, said processes of elections are not just voting and waiting for another round of election to get registered.
The network also urged the students to sign up to the #Register in change.org to compel INEC to commence the CVR process.
The forum was held in partnership with Center for Development and Democracy, Nextier, UMass Boston, Yiaga Africa, Lite - Africa and NDOF.
In her presentation, Uzoma Aneto, the team lead of the network, said INEC should open the portal so that Nigerians who have attained 18 years can vote without stress, adding that it is the right of every Nigerian who is up to eighteen years to get registered.
"INEC should open the portal right away so that our young ones can register and get their voter cards without stress.
"It is the right of young persons who are turning 18 everyday to walk into local government areas and development centres to get registered.
"In many developed countries, CVR models are successfully used to reduced long term costs, always having a complete and accurate register, reduced large scale logistical challenges for the election management body and high service orientation."
Speaking on the Policy Brief of the Network, Ibrahim Faruk, noted that the electoral act made provisions for CVR but INEC has suspended the excercise for about two years.
He disclosed that ten million Nigerians started online registration during the last elections and only three million went to INEC offices to complete the process, meaning seven million youths could not complete the process and this was enough to influence tbe elections.
On her part, Professor Stella Ansa, the Head of Linguistics Department in the University of Calabar, said young people can only effect change by getting involved.
Also speaking, the former Dean of faculty of Arts, UNICAL, Professor Offiong Ani Offiong, said he strongly believes that through the forum the students have been well enlightened.
He said: "A lot of students came to the university without having voter cards and thanked the Democratic Network for letting the students know why they should be registered.
The CVR process by INEC lasted for only thirteen months during the four years between elections. This is in contradicting with Section 10 of the Electoral Act 2022 states that "there shall be continuous registration of all persons qualifies to be registered voters".
