The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it has deployed additional 209 machines as a result of the sudden turnout of prospective registrants across south-eastern states.
This was revealed on Friday evening in a statement by Festus Okoye, INEC’s Chairman, Information and Voter Education committee via INEC’s verified Twitter handle.
The additional 209 voter enrolment machines were deployed to the five South-eastern states as well as Lagos and Kano to ease the congestion faced by registrants in the centres.
What INEC is saying
In the statement, INEC said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission has received reports from our states indicating an unprecedented surge in the number of citizens that wish to register as voters and the challenges they face across the country. In some states, the sudden turnout of prospective registrants is overwhelming.
“Consequently, the Commission convened an urgent meeting with all the Resident Electoral Commissioners yesterday Thursday, June 9, 2022, to review the situation so that eligible Nigerians who wish to register are able to do so. The necessity to urgently deploy more voter enrolment machines to ease the congestion at the registration centres was identified as a priority.
“In response, the Commission has immediately released additional 209 machines deployed mainly to the five South Eastern States, Lagos, and Kano where the pressure is most acute.
“The Commission will monitor the situation over the next few days. Thereafter, it will meet to review the progress of the exercise.
“Every step will be taken and all options will be explored to ensure that eligible Nigerians are given the opportunity to register as voters.”
“The Commission appeals for the patience and understanding of Nigerians, every Nigerian who is 18 years of age and above has the constitutional right to register and vote in any part of the country he or she resides in without let or hindrance.
“The sudden surge is an affirmation of the increasing confidence Nigerians have in our electoral process. The Commission will continue to ensure that this confidence is sustained.”
What you should know
- Following the conclusion of political parties’ primaries, there has been a surge in the number of prospective registrants turnout in various INEC centres across the country.
