Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Anambra State, on Wednesday, said it would create Voter Registration Centres in all the tertiary institutions in the state.
Disclosing this when he hosted the management of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in his office, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, said already plans had been concluded to establish the special intervention centres in all the institutions for the on-going continuous voter registration exercise.
The initiative, he said, became necessary in view of the large number of unregistered eligible voters in the institutions.
INEC, he further said, had already written letters to the authorities of the concerned institutions, informing them of the move, and for them to choose convenient days for the exercise.
His words, “A visit to the registration centers close to any of these institutions opened our eyes to the increasing number of students and eligible voters who struggle to register with other residents in the area.
“We have also increased registration points by creating additional floating centres in local government areas with peculiarities, including those in water prone areas.”
The REC, however, urged students and other concerned residents to take advantage of the special centers to get registered and obtain their permanent voters cards, expressing optimism for maximum results at the end of the exercise.
Orji said prospective electorate could avail themselves of the Rapid Response Help Desks put in place by the Commission for inquiries and other necessary assistance they might need in the course of the registration.
Appreciating the Agency for the visit, which he said has further depeened the synergy, the REC appealed for periodic feedbacks that would assist the Commission in its commitment to improving on its mandate of delivering to Nigerians a free, fair and credible elections.
Speaking earlier, the NOA Director, Charles Nwoji, said they were at the Commission to commend the electoral umpire on the successful conduct of both the governorship and senatorial elections in November, 2017 and January, 2018 respectively.
The visit, he further said, was also targeted at soliciting the electoral umpire’s continuous collaboration and synergy, at the same time to expand areas of knowledge, information and resource sharing between the two agencies.