Resumption of Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise will commence in the first quarter of next year (2021), the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced.
Ahmed Mu’azu, the acting chairman of the commission, made the disclosure during the virtual meeting with leadership of political parties at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, on Tuesday, November 10, 2020.
Commending the political parties for the role they played during the recently concluded Edo and Ondo States governorship elections, Mua’zu, urged them to channel all efforts towards adhering to the Commission’s voters code of conduct for elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the crisis that ensued over which leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, that should be given legal recognition by the Commission, the Acting Chairman endorsed the Leonard Nzenwa faction, ignoring the observation and protests from the National Chairman of Labour Party, Abdukadir Abdulsalam.
Addressing to him, “the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections have come and gone. They were acclaimed as credible and peaceful.
“The Commission sincerely appreciates the role played by the leadership of political parties and their candidates towards ensuring that the elections were generally peaceful and safe within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All your effort, including the signing to the letter and spirit of the Peace Accord and adherence to the Commission’s voters code of conduct for elections during the COVID-19 pandemic is fully acknowledged.
“Nevertheless, the Commission feels that there is room for improvement. We would therefore welcome your feedback on the conduct of the elections,” he noted.
Announcing the commencement of the CVR, Mua’zu, stated that “on the CVR, the Commission intends to roll out the nationwide programme in the first quarter of 2021 and work is in progress towards that goal. We need your inputs to guarantee its smooth take off and hitch-free conduct of the exercise.
“Let me resolve this issue once and for all. We have been working with the Ezenwa leadership and for the purpose of this meeting, I appealed we continue with them. We can revisit at a later date.”
In his keynote address, Ezenwa had commended the reappointment of Prof Mahmood Yakubu by President Muhammadu Buhari, pledging a harmonious working relationship.
