Jega

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Saturday announced a two-day extension for the ongoing voter registration exercise.

But the extension according to a statement signed by INEC’s Director of Information, Mr. Emmanuel Umenger, is only in areas where the exercise did not begin on schedule or where there were identified problems of logistics.

The extension came on the heels of a last minute rush by thousands of eligible voters who thronged registration centres across the country on the last day of the exercise.

The statement read in part, “The INEC will undertake a mop-up exercise in areas where the ongoing voter registration exercise could not commence early due to communal conflicts, over-population, technical or logistical challenges.

“The mop up voter registration will be from Sunday, February 6 to Monday, February 7, 2011.

“The affected areas are: Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, Ganjuwa, Kirfi, Shira, Bogoro, and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State; some wards in Gubio,Mafa, Jere,Konduga,Kukawa, Mobbar and Monguno local government areas of Borno State; Katsina Ala,Gwer East and Vandeikya LGAs of Benue State; Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South-West LGAs of Delta State; Ijero and Ekiti-East LGA of Ekiti State; Nsukka, Uzo Uwani and parts of Enugu East, Enugu North and Enugu South as well as Udi LGAs of Enugu State.

“Others are, the FCT; Sabon Tasha, Rigasa, Afaka, Kakuri, Rigachikun LGAs in Kaduna State; two registration areas each in Birnin Kebbi, Yauri, Gwandu and three others each in Danko-Wasaku and Suru in Kebbi State; Karu, New Karu,Mararaba,Masaka, Aso Fada and Adudu ward in Obi LGA of Nasarawa State.

“In Zamfara State, the mop-up exercise will take place in Gusau Ward 03, Galadima 01, Dado 04, Maiyara 05, Tudun Wada 09 and Tsafe 08 wards, while in Kogi State, it will take place in some areas in Bassa and Adavi LGAs. In Ogun State, Obafemi Owode, Ifo and Ado Odo LGAs will benefit from the exercise.”

Meanwhile, mixed feelings and complaints were the situation reports on Saturday at the end of the initial three weeks set aside by the Commission for the exercise.

Scores of people in some parts of Lagos State, for instance, lamented their inability to register as a result of what they described as poor logistics, faulty Direct Data Capture machines and inability of the registration officers to perform optimally.

As at 3pm, there were indications that a large number of residents were yet to register at the centres visited in Ikeja Local Government Area, Egbe-Idimu Local Council Development Area, Oshodi LGA and Ejigbo LCDA.

At Orisunbare area of Ejigbo LCDA scores of residents were seen waiting anxiously under the sun while others left the centre frustrated.

A member of the House of Representatives in Kosofe Federal Constituency, Mr. Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, explained that many prospective voters were yet to register.

However in Kaduna State, our correspondent reported that many of the registration centres were deserted as only a few people were seen being registered at the centres in the Kaduna North and Kaduna South LGAs.

The low turnout was reportedly due to the public holiday declared by the Kaduna State Government and corporate organizations in the state on Friday to enable workers to register.

Our correspondent, however, learnt that in some areas, particularly in the Southern part of the Kaduna metropolis, the existence of few registration centres made it difficult for residents in the heavily populated suburbs to take part in the exercise.

Desperate residents in suburbs such as Gonin-Gora, Narayi, Bayan Dutse, Federal Low-cost, Abuja Road, Rigasa, Ungwar Boro, Ungwar-Pama and Mahuta went to other areas to register.

The INEC Public Relations Officer in the state, Alhaji Lawal Haruna, said on the telephone that the seeming low turn-out was due to the provision of more DDC machines.

In Enugu State, the State Security Service operatives arrested two ad-hoc staff of INEC registering under-age primary school pupils at Ezeagu LGA.

The suspects, with a 76 years old man, were arrested at Central School, Akam-Oghe, which was confirmed as an illegal registration unit.

The ad-hoc staff had in their possession two DDC machines. About 20 laminated voter cards, bearing various names, were also recovered from them.

The suspects are currently held at the state headquarters of the SSS in Enugu. The State Director of the SSS, Abdulahi Shinkafi, confirmed the arrest.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Enugu State, Dr Josiah Uwazuruonye, said the electoral officer in the area had also been invited for questioning.

A total of 1,034,785 eligible voters were said to have been captured in Enugu as at Saturday morning.

The REC in Ogun State, Mr. Martins Okunfolami, said over 1.7m people had registered as at early hours of Saturday.

There was an ugly turnout in Anambra State where more than 1,601,000 voters were said to have been registered as at Thursday last week.

The PRO of INEC in Anambra, Mr. Frank Egbo, said an assistant registration officer was on Friday killed by a hit-and-run driver at Nteje along the Onitsha-Enugu expressway.

The deceased, Miss Chinelo Ojekwe, who hailed from Osile, Ogbunike in Oyi LGA of the state, was reportedly knocked down by a Peugeot 504 saloon car.

In Ekiti State, a total of 705,368 voters were said to have been captured as at Friday.

The PRO of INEC in the state, Mr. Taiwo Gbadegesin, said there was no case of theft of the DDC machine in the state.

Despite the spate of crises being recorded, the REC in Plateau State, Mr. Habu Zarma, said that the exercise was a huge success in the state.

How many people will still not be able to meet that deadline?
Are they not disenfranchising people that queued for three weeks and were still not able to register?

Knight1:

How many people will still not be able to meet that deadline?
Are they not disenfranchising people that queued for three weeks and were still not able to register?

mr man what are u talking about,if you want to register go and register and stop moaning. Even if the registration is 1yr some people will still not register and later they'll start crying foul. I'm not a fan of Jega but since he said he will give us free and fair,let go and register pls.

For me its a pretty good move. I really think Inec has tried, I hope the two days is enough to mop up all d eligible voters.

Plz, when did they start this Ekiti East, Ekiti South, LGA Ekiti rubbish?

I hate/detest those separatist toponyms. I hope they're not trying to divide my unified state. Why not just Ekiti State? I see Ogun State,Borno State, Ogun State, but diff Ekitis. . . .

WDH?! This is how it starts.

abeg, help me ask them oh!!
how can pple like me register?
monday to friday is spent @ d office trying 2 earn a living!
saturday & sunday is spent in school trying 2 update my knowledge & currently writing some exams.
ever since the beginning of this registration process, i've taken time out from work but couldnt register due to either hitch 4rm d DDC machine or incompetence of d attending personnels.
so many pple are in my shoes & i wonder how we are going to register.
some pple has gone way out of their area of residence, where they dont even have the intention of going 2 vote, to register.
yet we think we are going to get a free & fair election,