Make voter registration regular, continuous, ASHDC chair tells INEC
The Chairman of Anambra State Housing Development Corporation (ASHDC), Dr. Godson Ezenagu, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make the registration of voters a continuous exercise.
Ezenagu told newsmen in Awka, the Anambra State capital that several people might be disenfranchised in the coming November 18, 2017 governorship election and the 2019 general election owing to the failure of some people to register because of hiccup associated with the exercise.
Ezenagu said the making of the registration exercise a continuous and regular exercise would curb electoral irregularities and enhance massive participation of the people in the electoral process.
“My findings at Mgbakwu area in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State showed that a lot of people who are of voting age will be denied the opportunity to vote because they were unable to obtain the voter’ s card.
“INEC should consider this adjustment in the near future because that will make eligible people especially who turned 18 years to register and participate in the elections.
“The imperative of this is that people will go for INEC registration at a more convenient time rather than being compelled to get registered within the stipulated time, which may disenfranchise many,’’ he said.
He also called on the electoral management body to address the problem of malfunctioning capturing machines before the conduct of the November 18 gubernatorial election.
Ezenagu regretted that the machines deployed to register big communities had few of them functioning and therefore could not register a lot of people who came out to register.
INEC ended the voter’s registration exercise on August 15 ahead of the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State but findings in most communities in the state such as Enugwu-Ukwu, Awka North, Awka South, Onitsha, Nwelle- Ezunaka, Ogidi, Oba, Obaosi, Oko, Ajalli among others showed that people who are of age could not register due to faulty machines and other logistic problems.
Stories by Alphonsus Nweze
