Civil Society Organisations in Bayelsa State led by the Fostering Achievement of Community Empowerment (FACE) Initiative have expressed concern over the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a continuous voter registration (CVR) in the state ahead of the November 11, 2023, governorship election.
The CSOs said despite the shortage of time and in accordance to Section 9(6) of the 2022 Electoral Act, the non-compliance of the electoral body to register new voters until August is a violation of the section of the law which stipulates that, “The registration of voters, updating and revision of the Register of Voters under this section SHALL not stop not later than 90 days before any election covered by this Act”.
The executive director of FACE Initiative, Mr. Inatimi Odio, in a statement said many Bayelsa youths have turned 18 years since the suspension of the CVR in July 2022 and others could not complete their registration or register at all before the suspension of the exercise.
Odio said, “We call on INEC to immediately set machinery into motion to conduct the CVR process in Bayelsa State. If this is not done, scores of young people will be disenfranchised.”
He also revealed that the FACE Initiative, in partnership with other organizations in Bayelsa State, are ready to assist in mobilizing Bayelsa youths to go out and register as the youths already constitute the majority of registered voters in Nigeria, pointing out that they also constitute the highest number of citizens that are yet to register.
The group reiterated its call on INEC to unveil a robust strategy and blueprint that Bayelsa youths are able to register and have their voices heard during the November 11 off-cycle governorship election.
