INEC Begins Continuous Voter Registration Soon

INEC says it will soon begin the continuous voter registration as provided by the law ahead of the governorship elections scheduled for five states in 2012.

Mr Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega, said this in an interview with  newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

Idowu said that the move was part of decisions taken during the just concluded four-day INEC Retreat for Residents Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and the National Commissioners in Uyo.

“The continuous voter registration as demanded by the law will be rolled out in a short while. “Certainly it will start from these states where elections will hold in 2012,’’ Idowu said.

The states are Kogi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Cross River and Bayelsa.

He explained that the process will begin in these states in order for the exercise to be conducted within the timeline before the elections as provided by the Electoral Act.

Idowu said that the commission had stated compiling a comprehensive list of electoral offenders who were undergoing prosecution across the country.

According to him, all the RECs have been directed to start compiling list of all those electoral offenders who are undergoing prosecution.

Idowu, though did not mention a specific time, said the list would be made public soon.

The commission had alleged high profile electoral offenders who were involved in multiple voter registration before the April polls.

“After compiling the names, of course the commission will make the list public,’’ Idowu said.

He said the retreat also reviewed the operational and logistics aspects of the last voter registration and the April general elections.

Idowu added that measures were taken to improve on the logistics and ensure that personnel and materials arrive early before elections dates.

He explained that inadequacy of vehicles had hindered early arrival of election materials, adding that additional 500 vehicles were procured by the commission to address the challenge.

“The commission has procured additional 500 vehicles to ensure that every local government is assigned a vehicle in order to ensure that materials were taken to various centres early enough,’’ Idowu said.