PVC REGISTRATION: INEC INSISTS ON JULY 31 DEADLINE

REPORTER: CHINAZO ILECHUKWU

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will take necessary steps to ensure that everyone seeking to enroll in the continuous voter registration is attended to before the July 31 deadline.

INEC National Commissioner supervising Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi States,Chief Ken Ukeagu, gave the assurance while speaking with journalists in Owerri.

Chief Ukeagu, who monitored how the registration was going on in some local government areas of Imo State, said he was satisfied with the high turnout of persons wishing to participate in the country’s electoral process.

He explained that the commission had no intention to extend the registration beyond July, noting that the electoral body needed time to process the permanent voter’s cards as it would be fruitless if after the registration INEC was unable to issue the people their cards.

Some of the registrants, who spoke with Radio Nigeria at the commission’s headquarters in Owerri, expressed concern about what they described as slow pace of the exercise and appealed to INEC to increase the pace, especially in the rural areas.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU