Following a request by the House of Representatives to extend the voter registration deadline, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may use additional equipment and ad hoc staff.
This was disclosed by Rep. Aisha Duku, the chairman of the House Committee on INEC, when briefing the chamber on the outcome of their meeting with INEC on Wednesday, June 22, in Abuja.
Following a move by Rep. Benjamin Kalu (APC-Abia), the House of Representatives ordered on June 15 that the committee meet with the electoral umpire.
The House recommended INEC to provide voters a another 60 days to register to vote.
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Prior to this date, the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) was supposed to terminate on June 30.
Including the expansion of voter registration, Duku claimed in her statement that the electoral umpire had approved of all of its decisions.
She continued by saying that INEC had informed the committee that weekends will now be included in the registration days, along with more staff to ensure a successful exercise.
The lawmaker also claimed that all of the prayers included in the motions were accepted.
According to Kalu’s motion, INEC declared in April that around 42% of voter registrations registered since the start of CVR on June 28, 2021, were invalid, and that there were approximately 20 million unclaimed Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
The vast number of eligible voters who are not registered but are eager to do so, as shown by the crowds at different registration centers, he continued, has led to congestion.
According to Kalu, millions of Nigerians would lose their right to vote, endangering the credibility of the general elections in 2023, if nothing was done to address the equipment shortfall and extend the registration deadline.
The house instructed the Committee on Electoral Matters to work with INEC to analyze and suggest solutions to the paucity of registration machines and staff as part of its decision.
Additionally, to address the lack of workers at registration centers, the House encouraged INEC to set up 30 more voter registration machines in each local government area and train and use ad hoc staff.
The House decided that security should be offered to the staff as well, with a two-week report deadline.
