Voter registration at 29% of target of youth participation
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Only 5.8 million potential new voters have registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the current phase of Continuous Voter Registration (CRV), representing 29 per cent of targeted 20 million comprising mostly youths.
INEC says it will not extend the 30 June deadline for registration so it could devote more resources to building other structures for the 2023 ballot.
A total 9,238,991 new registrants registered online as of 16 May but only 5,845,751 have completed the physical registration process, according to INEC.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu said in 2021 that the commission expected to register 20 million Nigerians before July 2022, the target being mostly youths who have reached the age of 18 since the 2019 election.
But more than 70 per cent of the targeted demographic has not registered a month to the 30 June deadline, which Yakubu’s Chief Press Secretary Rotimi Oyekanmi insisted will not be extended.
“The commission will not extend the CVR which started on June 30 last year. For the first time ever, the commission introduced the online pre-registration option, to make it easier for eligible Nigerians to register,” he said.
“As of 7am on Monday May 16, there were 9,238,991 fresh registrants. But only 5,845,751 have completed the registration process so far. However, you will agree with me that one year is long enough for a serious individual to register as a voter.
“Anyone who fails to register before June 30 this year will have another opportunity when the CVR resumes after the 2023 general elections.”
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Preventing voter apathy
Adopt A Goal Initiative Convener Ariyo Dare-Atoye added that INEC and other stakeholders have done enough to get citizens registered. He, however, stressed the need to sensitise voters to prevent voter apathy, per reporting by The PUNCH.
His words: “INEC and other electoral stakeholders, including CSOs [civil society organisations] and the media, have done more than enough to get more Nigerians registered.
“We cannot register everyone; what is most important is that INEC has shown good faith and given opportunities to Nigerians to register, while the process has been made easier.
“The number of people already captured in the voter’s register through the 2021/2022 phase of the CVR is a significant improvement that will add to our voting strength.
“Our focus should now be on how to help some persons to transfer their voting points successfully and also how to help those who want to do replacement because we are a nation troubled by instability.
“Most importantly, our focus should be on how to address voter apathy and get at least 50 per cent of registered Nigerians to vote in 2023.”
