Edo Poll: APC Wants INEC To Suspend Voter's Registration

The Edo State All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt the Continuous Voters Registration scheduled to begin today (Monday).

This is contained in a press statement by the Edo APC Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe.

Tenebe was quoted in the statement as saying, “the unprecedented damage inflicted upon its facilities and equipment, especially the INEC Voters Enrolment Device as a result of heavy rainfall on Friday night, resulting in severe flooding and damage to the commission’s perimeter fence with the resultant destruction and submerging of sensitive materials in floodwater.”

“We are calling for the cancellation of the CVR exercise expected to begin on Monday (today) in Edo State due to the extensive damage to the INEC premises,” Tenebe said.

The Edo APC chairman said the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha,  had himself “rightfully acknowledged that the INEC Benin City headquarters has suffered significant damage to its functionality, as a result. The commission cannot, therefore, pretend to be determined to ensure that the CVR exercise proceeds as scheduled. This is unacceptable to us as an interested party.”

“In the existing circumstances, we believe the wise option for INEC is the immediate cancellation of the CVR exercise and prioritise the safety and well-being of its staff and the general public more than anything else.

“INEC must address the aftermath of the flooding squarely and restore its operations to full functionality before resuming any electoral activities. This is our demand."

“Any attempt to proceed with the CVR exercise under current conditions would not only jeopardise the integrity of the voter registration process but also undermine the trust and confidence of the Edo electorate in the electoral system. We demand to be heard,” the APC said.