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The INEC has not embarked on the continuous registration of voters since the last national exercise in Feburary 2011 in Katsina State.
Investigation conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) showed that neither eligible voters nor INEC in the 34 Local Government Areas of the state had made effort to ensure the registration.
It was gathered that some INEC offices had large stocks of voter registration cards that were not been collected in the last exercise.
Some INEC officials, who spoke incognito in Katsina, Malumfashi and Kankara, said since the last registration, nobody had directed them to conduct another.
They added that eligible persons had also not approached them for registration.
Alhaji Mukhtar Abubakar, the INEC’s Public Relations Officer confirmed that there had not been continuous registration of voters.
He, however, said that very soon, the exercise would commence as preparation for it was in top gear.
``Staff members have been trained for the exercise, while ICT and other equipment are in stock.”
Abubakar also said registration centres would be established in each of the 34 local government areas of the state for the exercise.
In Yola, Mrs Rifkatu Duku, the Head of Public Affairs Department in Adamawa, decried the public apathy toward the continuous voter registration.
Duku said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola that INEC in the state provided data capture machine to its offices in all the 21 local government areas of the state to register people that had attained 18 years.
She lamented that people were not showing up for the exercise.
Duku noted that the last time people turned up for the exercise in Adamawa was in December before the state governorship election when 18,362 people were registered.
``People hardly go for registration except when there is going to be an election as was the case before the January governorship election in the state.’’
Some people, who spoke to NAN in Yola, said they were not aware that people who had not been registered or just attained the age of 18 could walk into INEC office for registration.
``I am not aware of that. I think INEC and other relevant agencies such as the National Orientation Agency need to embark on a sensitisation campagin on the exercise. (NAN)
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