CVR: Kwara Registers 70,000 New Voters, IPAC Calls For More Centres

From Jacob Ayanda (HOD, VEP, Kwara)

The on-going Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise which began on April 17, 2017 continued its success streak across the country this week, with the revelation that some 70,000 Nigerians have so far been captured in Kwara state.

But the state’s Administrative Secretary, Mr. Paul Atser who made the disclosure during a meeting with executive members of the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) in Ilorin, also noted that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) of those who registered between April and December 2017 were already on the way to the state. When they arrive, he noted, the owners would have to collect the cards in person and not by proxy.

But he regretted that only 4,000 out of the 242,000 unclaimed PVCs domiciled in the state have so far been collected.

Atser said the meeting was called to intimate the political parties about the developments that had taken place since the last meeting. He urged IPAC members to feel free to come to the Commission’s Office on any issue not clear to them. He noted that the political parties in the state had been conducting their activities in a peaceful manner devoid of any major rancour that is commonplace in several other states. He appealed to the political parties to sustain the atmosphere of peace.

Responding, the Chairman of IPAC in Kwara State, Comrade Abdul-Mumeen Onagun commended the openness of the Kwara state office of INEC in handling all issues relating to political parties and creating a level playground at all times.

He however observed that despite INEC’s efforts towards improving the CVR exercise by increasing the number of the registration centres in the state, “the centres are still grossly inadequate and are very far to the registrants.” He called on the Commission to establish more centres in order to ensure that no one is disenfranchised.

Participants at the meeting.
PHOTO: JACOB AYANDA