The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Thursday that it would activate an additional 1,862 voter registration centers across the nation to make it easier for Nigerians to exercise their right to register as voters.
INEC President Mahmood Yakubu revealed this at the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Electoral Security (ICCES) in 2022, in Abuja.
The meeting was called with a view to activating additional centers nationwide for ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
He said that the INEC was aware of the limitations experienced by many citizens in reaching the 811 designated centers nationwide to register for the ongoing CVR.
“I want to assure Nigerians that we are aware of the limitations many citizens experience in reaching designated 811 centers across the country to register.
“Some of them are separated by a considerable distance from the places where the citizens reside.
“We hope to activate the 1,862 additional centers nationwide to make it easier for citizens to exercise their right to register as voters.
“At the same time, we are aware of the imperative to secure the process, especially the lives of registrants and our staff. We will not put the lives of Nigerians and our registration officers at risk.
“For this reason, this meeting will review the security situation with a view to achieving our ultimate goal of activating 2,673 registration centers across the country,” Mr. Yakubu said.
The president of the INEC, who praised the professional conduct of the security agencies in the Anambra governor election, urged them to maintain it for the next out-of-cycle elections.
He said he was confident that the professional conduct displayed by INEC officials and security agencies in the Edo, Ondo and Anambra gubernatorial elections would be upheld in all upcoming elections, including the 2023 general election.
“Our responsibility is to protect the process to ensure its integrity while we let the voters determine the outcome of the election,” Yakubu added.
He said 2022 would be a busy year for the commission as it would conduct pending by-elections of nine constituencies.
He added that INEC would also hold the Ekiti and Osun governor elections scheduled for June 18 and July 16 respectively, as well as holding the FCT Area Council elections on February 12.
He noted that the Commissioner of Police at the FCT would report to the meeting on the state of readiness with an emphasis on the hotspots identified and the overall security situation at the FCT.
Mr. Yakubu added that the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner and the commission will also provide an overview of the commission’s preparation for the FCT election.
“In addition to these off-cycle and bye elections, we must also continue to prepare for the 2023 general election which will take place in 394 days.
“Securing the nation under the current circumstances is challenging enough. It is more so in an election year.
“Starting from this meeting, we will mainly focus on the best way to ensure the electoral process in the most professional way,” he said.
National Security Advisor (NSA) Babagana Monguno reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to ensure free, fair and credible elections in Ekiti, Osun and the 2023 general election.
Represented by Sanusi Galadima, Mr. Monguno said that all available security and intelligence assets of the government would be mobilized to achieve the same goal.
Monguno, who is also a co-chair of ICCES, praised the president and staff of INEC, security personnel and other international partners who made Anambra’s gubernatorial election credible and peaceful.
He said the ICCES meeting would help members collectively brainstorm on how to address challenges identified with the electoral process and proactively offer solutions.
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(YAYA)