Ukomu Igala Sensitises Kogi East on Proper Voter Registration
Urges residents to complete INEC pre-registration and biometric capture promptly
By Godswill Michael
The Ukomu Igala Organisation (UIO) has intensified efforts to educate and mobilise residents of Kogi East Senatorial Zone on proper voter registration procedures in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a public service announcement on Monday signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Salihu Ibrahim Kindo, the Organisation commended Igala and Bassa sons and daughters who have been mobilising and supporting people across the region to participate actively in the registration exercise, especially at the online pre-registration stage.
According to UIO, the mobilisation drive has been effective, but many participants remain unaware of the need to complete their registration process by appearing at their designated INEC offices for biometric capture within the stipulated time.
“It has been observed that the people mobilizing/supporting our people are not educating them adequately on the need to present themselves on allocated dates and time at the various INEC offices in their respective Local Government Areas (LGAs) for biometric capture and completion of the online pre-registration phase,” the Organisation stated.
The group warned that failure to complete biometric capture within 14 days of online pre-registration could lead to automatic deletion of applicants’ data from the INEC portal.
“INEC’s portal is configured to wipe off the online pre-registration details of any applicant that does not go to INEC office in his/her Local Government Area to complete the application within 14 days,” it noted.
UIO revealed that most LGAs in Kogi East are already facing “long data queues” on the INEC CVR Portal, hindering new applicants from commencing their registration. It said only Igalamela/Odolu and Olamaboro LGAs still have available space for online pre-registration but warned that these too could soon be filled if residents delay in completing their registration.
“Based on the foregoing, UIO hereby enjoins eligible applicants in all the 9 LGAs of Kogi East Senatorial Zone that are participating or wish to participate in INEC’s ongoing CVR exercise to please endeavour to complete the online pre-registration exercise as quickly as possible to create enough room for others on INEC’s CVR Portal,” the statement read.
The Organisation further urged community mobilisers to ensure that residents understand the importance of visiting their chosen INEC offices promptly with their registration slips between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on working days to finalise their registration. It also encouraged all Igala and Bassa people, both within and outside Kogi East, to join the sensitisation campaign to prevent further portal congestion.
UIO also warned that INEC officials have no right to turn back applicants who arrive at their designated offices within the approved time and date. “Applicants that visit the INEC office that they chose during the pre-registration phase on the dates and time that they had also chosen on working days between 9am and 3pm must demand to be attended to compulsorily by the INEC officials,” the group emphasised.
For clarity, UIO outlined the only valid reasons INEC officials may refuse an applicant: appearing at a different office, showing up before or after the scheduled date, arriving outside the official registration hours, or visiting on a weekend. The Organisation added that all registrants already on queue before 3 p.m. must still be attended to, even after official hours, in line with INEC guidelines.
“Please, let us internalize the above information and use it to educate or assist our people in the 9 LGAs to participate effectively in INEC’s ongoing CVR exercise,” UIO appealed.
The Organisation reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that every eligible voter in Kogi East is properly registered and empowered to participate in future elections.
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