INEC urges Rivers residents to embrace forthcoming voter registration

The Residents Electoral Commmissioner (REC) in Rivers, Obongo Effanga, has urged those who have no voter cards to take advantage of the forthcoming online and physical voter registration to get theirs.

Effanga, who made call on Thursday in Port Harcourt while briefing newsmen, said that the online registration would begin on June 28 and last for about three weeks.

He also said that July 19 had been scheduled for the collection of voter’s cards by those that would register during the online exercise.

“Physical registration will commence on the same July 19 for those who don’t have smartphone and codes to register online.

“We had at the end of 2019 election 84,004,084 voters in Nigeria who had opportunity to vote in 119,974, polling units in the country.

“But INEC in the last two months decided to convert 56,872 voting points and voting point settlements to polling units nationwide to meet the number of registered voters,” he stated.

The resident electoral commissioner said that the total number of polling units across the country now stood at 176,846.

Effanga said that the continuous voter registration was an opportunity for those who were qualifed to register as voters but had not done so, to exploit and become voters.

According to him, it is also an opportunity for people who have changed locations and intend to vote in their new places to transfer their names to their current locations.

Effanga advised those whose permanent voter’s cards were ready and had not been collected need to pick them.

“It’s also an opportunity for those who complain of wrong spelling of their names, date of birth and other information to come for corrections.

“Those whose cards are not legible should also come for reregistration.

“The continuous registration would at least last for one year and we will start physical registration at the INEC offices for now, for security purposes.

“Adequate provisions have been made by the commission to carry out the registration process,” he added.

Effanga urged the public to beware of scammers who may want to use the opportunity to defraud them, saying that INEC did not endorse any business center for card registration.

He also urged political parties, stakeholders, traditional rulers and the media to do more on voter education in the state and the country at large. (NAN)