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The Independent National Electoral Commission has sought collaboration with Civil Society Organisations in mobilising prospective registrants for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the call at the second quarterly consultative meeting with CSOs in Abuja.
The Edo State governorship election would be held on September 21, 2024, while the Ondo State governorship poll would be held on November 16, 2024.
The commission had earlier revealed plans to commerce the Continuous Voter Registration from May 27 ahead of the poll. The exercise would last till June 5, 2024.
Yakubu said, “The commission, therefore, appeals to CSOs to join us in mobilising prospective registrants for the exercise, particularly on the need to register early and not wait until the deadline approaches, when the registration centres will be inundated by eleventh-hour registrants.”
“As we get closer to Election Day in Edo State, it is also imperative to remind CSOs of the need to submit your applications for election observation in earnest, along with the required supporting documents and a realistic number of individual observers.
“Doing so will enable the commission to produce and deliver the identity cards for observers in good time.”
Yakubu underscored the mandatory nature of submitting reports from previous accreditations in the specified format outlined by the commission for continued participation in election observation.
Meanwhile, political Parties in Edo State have called on their supporters and those who have attained the voting age to take advantage of the registration window opened by INEC.
They also called on INEC to ensure that logistics and materials to ensure a hitch-free exercise are provided, while noting that voters registration should be a year-round exercise.
The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Peter Uwadiae, made the call in Benin said, “INEC has started well by ensuring that there is registration before the election. We have spoken to our members with a view to encouraging them to register.”
Also, Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tony Aziegbemi, said the registration should not be about party supporters alone but all eligible voters in the state.
He said, “The registration is not about mobilising PDP supporters to register but to tell Edo people to come out en mase and register.
“So, we are going to mobilise everyone to register; not only PDP members. After registration, we will now campaign to them to vote for the PDP candidate.”
