SPECIAL REPORT: Crowds disappear at CVR centers after clamor forces INEC to extend registration deadline
After weeks of waiting for the crowds at his registration center to die down, Lovelyn Asukwo (real name withheld) and his friends were introduced to an INEC official at the commission office in Area 10 , Garki in Abuja.
The seven of them paid the official 2,000 naira each and immediately obtained their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), two days before the original registration deadline of June 30.
Although voter registration is free, some corrupt officials have taken advantage of Nigerians' rush to meet the deadline for the exercise.
"I spent almost all of my two weeks off from the office in a queue before our HR spoke to a friend who put us in touch with an INEC manager in Area 10", Ms. Asukwo, 23, told PREMIUM TIMES.
Ms Asukwo visited the same office for four consecutive days, but left disappointed each day, either because the capture machines were slow or the staff resumed late.
However, after collecting 14,000 Naira from them, the official advised Ms Asukwo and her friends to meet him at the office before 6am
"The whole process, including the capture, didn't take up to 20 minutes. It was very fast," she explained.
A file photo of an INEC Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) CenterTroubles in voter registration centers enrollment and experiments like Ms Asukwo's forced INEC to extend the June 30 deadline for the exercise by one month. However, a week before the new deadline, crowds disappeared at registration centers in many parts of the country.
Why the surge and the rush?Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) had resumed on June 28, 2021 to notably enable Nigerians who had registered 18 years since the 2019 general elections to participate in the 2023 elections. The exercise was carried out for the last times in 2018.
With the goal of capturing 20 million new voters, INEC conducted registration online and at centers across the country. The exercise was to last until the end of June 2022.
"Young people want to know when registration will end. I want to assure you on behalf of the commission that registration will not end on June 30. As long as you try to register, we will continue to register you commission chairman Mahmood Yakubu told a crowd of would-be registrants at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja on June 25
His statement came after the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim order prohibiting INEC from closing the financial year on June 30.
Due to rowdy scenes at registration centers in many parts of the country, a civil society organization, SERAP, had approached the court to obtain the order ordering the electorate to continue the exercise indefinitely.
After weeks of waiting for the crowds at his registration center to die down, Lovelyn Asukwo (real name withheld) and his friends were introduced to an INEC official at the commission office in Area 10 , Garki in Abuja.
The seven of them paid the official 2,000 naira each and immediately obtained their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), two days before the original registration deadline of June 30.
Although voter registration is free, some corrupt officials have taken advantage of Nigerians' rush to meet the deadline for the exercise.
"I spent almost all of my two weeks off from the office in a queue before our HR spoke to a friend who put us in touch with an INEC manager in Area 10", Ms. Asukwo, 23, told PREMIUM TIMES.
Ms Asukwo visited the same office for four consecutive days, but left disappointed each day, either because the capture machines were slow or the staff resumed late.
However, after collecting 14,000 Naira from them, the official advised Ms Asukwo and her friends to meet him at the office before 6am
"The whole process, including the capture, didn't take up to 20 minutes. It was very fast," she explained.
A file photo of an INEC Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) CenterTroubles in voter registration centers enrollment and experiments like Ms Asukwo's forced INEC to extend the June 30 deadline for the exercise by one month. However, a week before the new deadline, crowds disappeared at registration centers in many parts of the country.
Why the surge and the rush?Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) had resumed on June 28, 2021 to notably enable Nigerians who had registered 18 years since the 2019 general elections to participate in the 2023 elections. The exercise was carried out for the last times in 2018.
With the goal of capturing 20 million new voters, INEC conducted registration online and at centers across the country. The exercise was to last until the end of June 2022.
"Young people want to know when registration will end. I want to assure you on behalf of the commission that registration will not end on June 30. As long as you try to register, we will continue to register you commission chairman Mahmood Yakubu told a crowd of would-be registrants at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja on June 25
His statement came after the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim order prohibiting INEC from closing the financial year on June 30.
Due to rowdy scenes at registration centers in many parts of the country, a civil society organization, SERAP, had approached the court to obtain the order ordering the electorate to continue the exercise indefinitely.
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