The House of Representatives has on Wednesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the deadline on voters’ registration by 60 days. The lawmakers directed the commission to extend its June 30th deadline following a motion by Ben Kalu (APC, Abia) stating the need for an extension.
What the Reps are saying
- While moving the motion for an extension, Mr. Ben Kalu said that extending the scheduled deadline for voters’ registration is in line with the Electoral Act 2022, which obligated INEC to end the registration exercise 60 days before an election.
- The Rep added that the thousands of people seen at INEC’s registration centres showed the willingness of Nigerians to complete the exercise.
- Mr. Ben Kalu further urged INEC to address a shortage of registration equipment at the centres.
- The House then ordered the Committee on Electoral Matters to work with INEC in providing solutions to the shortage of registration materials and work on an extension.
What you should know
- More Nigerians have turned out to complete the registration exercise since the various political parties concluded their primaries.
- Nigerians have described the election as a make it or break it point in the country’s history following the economical, security and political challenges Nigeria has faced in the last few years
- Compared to other years, Nigerians are on the front foot in deciding who they elect into power, hence the reason for the huge turnout in this year’s registration process.
- INEC’s data at the start of the month revealed that of the 10.2 million fresh applicants in this year’s registration, 6.5 million completed the registration process with Nigerian youths accounting for 4.5 million or 69.5%.