Mixed Turn-Out At Voters Registration Centres

Eligible voters in some parts of Rivers State who were disappointed by the malfunctioning of INEC Direct Data Capture machines or printers, have taken advantage of the one-week extension to register.

Our correspondents that monitored the exercise reported that some registration centres witnessed large turn-out of eligible persons, after what they described as the engagement of town-criers in the areas to sensitise them. In other registration centres, it was reported that INEC officials had less job to do because of low turn-out of eligible voters.

At the Holy Rosary Secondary School,Port Harcourt, St Philips Catholic School, registration centres, only few eligible voters turned-out to register.

At Agbeta Onne Eleme, INEC officials were on schedule with eligible voters itching to register.

An INEC officer, Alao Faseyi described the exercise as hitch-free as eligible voters trooped out to register. He remarked that he was impressed with the turn-out.

In Eloabu centre, the registration supervisor for Ward I, Eleme Local Government Area, Mrs Amaka Nelson complained of poor functioning of the DDC machines.

Similarly, there was also low turn-out of eligible voters at some registration centres in Tai Local Government Area.

According to INEC officials, the last minute rush to beat the registration deadline by eligible voters accounted for the low turn-out.

At Okehi in Etche Local Government Area, the story was the same, as only few eligible voters were seen registering.

Philip Okparaji, Ike Wigodo & Akujobi Amadi