ENUGU RECORDS POOR RESPONSE TO INEC’S VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised alarm over what it calls an “unusually poor” response to its ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Enugu State.

Figures obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) show that although the online CVR kicked off on August 18 and the in-person registration began nationwide on August 28, only 1,801 new voters turned up at INEC centres in Enugu within the first 15 days.

Chief Rex Achumie, Head of the Department of Voter Education and Publicity at INEC Enugu, said on Tuesday that the low turnout was “far from encouraging,” especially when compared to other states recording an average of 25,000 new registrations in the same period.

The 15-day period covered August 25 to September 12, yet the breakdown shows 896 men and 905 women registered – a figure Achumie described as “abysmally low” given the resources deployed.

“The CVR has been running without hitches – no network issues, no shortage of staff or machines,” he told NAN. “But it is disturbing to see residents trickling in at long intervals each day instead of coming out en masse.”

INEC reiterated that the exercise continues, urging more residents to seize the opportunity to register and strengthen their voice in the electoral process.