INEC Begins Voters’ Registration Update In Bayelsa

Ahead of next year’s governorship election in Bayelsa State, Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) in the state ,Edwin Nwatarali, yesterday informed that the commission has begun the update of its electronic voter’s register in the state.

Nwatarali said the exercise which commenced last Monday would last for 10 days in all the 105 wards across the state and would end on December 19,saying that INEC had deployed two data capture machines to each of the wards for the exercise

. The REC spoke yesterday in Yenagoa while addressing journalists, said the update would capture those who are eligible and did not register in the last registration exercise in February this year.

Nwatarali noted that persons ,who recently turned 18 years and those recently transferred to the state would have the opportunity to also register.

He said:”You know that some people have just been transferred to Bayelsa State.We will retrieve their old cards and issue them with another one with a separate code to enable them vote in the next election”

The commissioner further said the updated voter’s register would be displayed between 27th and 30th December this year for necessary objections on the data, stressing that this would enable  INEC effect all necessary corrections.

According to him, this period of objections and claims would also cover the entire voter’s register of about 622,000 .noting that the Governorship candidates of the respective political parties would be publicised as soon its headquarters transmit the information to them.

His words: “ You know the electoral act is very clear on who should submit candidates for the election. The National Office of the registered political parties will submit the names to our national headquarters in Abuja.As of today,I have no update from the Abuja office but as soon as we have the information,we will furnish the public.There is nothing to hide”,he said.

He said the preparation for the poll was in top gear as INEC was already putting necessary logistics in motion to have a successful gubernatorial election in the state.