Network hitches characterised the commencement of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
DAILY POST reports that INEC last week announced today, Monday, May 27, 2024, for the commencement of the Continuous Voter Registration for those who have attained the age of 18 and those willing to transfer their permanent voters card to a place of their choice.
DAILY POST reported that despite the flood that submerged the commission’s state headquarters in Benin City, resulting in the destruction of already configured voter registration machines, among other things, the commission insisted on going ahead with the exercise.
A visit to some ward registration centers like Asoro Primary School located at Sakponba Road, Idia College, and Western Boys College, all in Benin City, witnessed a large turnout of people who came out to their various centers for registration.
The people, however, expressed disappointment that the capturing machines were not working.
At Asoro Primary School, those who came complained of network challenges.
They appealed to INEC to do the needful so that they would be able to exercise their franchise during the election.
An INEC ad hoc staff member, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she was yet to have network connectivity on her machines.
She noted that once there is a network, those present will be attended to.
At Idia College and Western Boys College, there were also complaints of network challenges.
However, those who had yet to collect their PVCs took advantage of the opportunity to do so.
Meanwhile, Prof Rhoda Gumus, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Edo, Delta, and Cross River, who also monitored the exercise at the Ikpoba-Okha registration area, commended the smooth process of the exercise.
Gumus urged the registrants to be patient, adding that they would all be registered.
According to her, “We have been to Oredo, and we are here at the Ikpoba-Okha registration area, which we are using as our state head office registration center because of the flood disaster that happened at our head office on Friday.
“So far, we are in touch with other registration areas within and outside Benin, and the exercise is going on smoothly. As you can see, we have registered some people, and others are still waiting.
“The process just started today, and it is going on smoothly, and it is impressive and commendable,” she said.
In his remarks, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, said that INEC was well-prepared for the exercise, adding that the flood disaster that destroyed some of the commission’s equipment could not stop the exercise.
Onuoha, who said there were initial network problems, noted that the challenges had been resolved and the exercise was going on smoothly.
While expressing optimism that the exercise would be successful, he thanked God for the enablement to begin the exercise despite the flood disaster that destroyed some equipment on Friday.
“Because of the flood disaster, we had to move our head office registration area to the INEC office at Ikpoba-Okha local government.
“We are here and witnessing a large turnout of people who are here as either new registrants, to transfer their registration, or for PVC collection.
“INEC is prepared for this exercise, and nothing will make us fail. People expected us to discontinue the exercise, but we were prepared even before the flood disaster happened.”
He added that both the CVR and the PVC collection would be a 10-day exercise, starting from May 27 to June 5, 2024, from 9 am to 3 pm daily, including weekends.
Edo guber: Network hitches mar Continuous Voter Registration
