The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Rivers State has announced that online continuous voters registration commences today, June, 28 and will last for about three weeks.
The INEC Resident Commissioner, Obong Effanga, made this known last Thursday (June 24, 2021), during press briefing in Port Harcourt.
Effanga also disclosed that July, 19, 2021 is slated for collection of voters’ card by those who successfully completed their online registration at the commission’s office.
He urged Rivers State residents between ages 18 and above to take full advantage of the online registration starting today, adding that Monday, July 19, physical collection of voters’ card by those who successfully finished their online registration would commence. 
According to him, “Physical registration and collection of voters’ card for those without smartphone and codes to register online will commence by the same date, July, 19, 2021.
 “We had at the end of 2019 election 84,004,084 million 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  and come up with a total number of 176,846 polling units in the country,” he added.
 He stated that the continuous voters registration was an opportunity  for those who were supposed to be in voters’ register but were not there as a result of their age and other factors, while urging them to take full advantage of the exercise now and register.
 According to him, “It is also an opportunity for people who were not of age, who have changed their addresses and intend to vote in their new places to come for transfers to their current Local Government Area in the state.
Effanga advised those whose permanent cards are ready and need to pick up to do so to avoid congestion of collection centres towards election period.
 ”It’s also an opportunity for those who complain of wrong spelling of their names, Date of birth, among 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 or business owners who may want to use the opportunity to defraud them, saying that INEC did not endorse any business center for card registration.
 
He urged political parties, stakeholders, traditional rulers and most importantly, the media to do more on voters education in the state and the country  at large, so that the general public is aware of the importance these exercises and in turn take full advantage of them.

By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana