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………Says House Resolution for 60-day extension not feasible
Following the intervention of the House of Representatives and general public outcry, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has caved- in and may extend the Continuous Voters Registration beyond the end of June deadline
But the electoral body may not extend the deadline by another 60 days as requested by the House of Representatives resolution
The INEC has also not fixed a new period of grace as a moratorium but indications from the outcome of a parley between the lawmakers and INEC officials show that Nigerians will be relieved by the new development
However, reports indicate that the House of Representatives had intervened through a follow up by its Electoral Matters committee after passing a resolution of a motion requesting INEC to extend the CVR
Disclosing the outcome of their interaction with INEC, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Aishatu Jibril Dukku, said their intervention was to implement a House resolution made last week, requesting INEC to extend the June deadline.
She noted that the Committee met with INEC officials Tuesday following which they(INEC) agreed to look at the general election timetable and find a convenient bend and time to increase time for the CVR because of public outcry
She explained that even though the Electoral umpire admitted the need to increase the time to continue, it however declined the 60-day grace requested by the Parliament
According to the INEC, “it was was working with election timetable, which requires it to clean up the register, display voters register, among others, which time constraints may not allow the 60 days extension demanded in the House resolution from a motion sponsored by Ben Kalu APC Abia
Kalu’s motion had among other considerations , urged INEC to extend the continuous voters’ registration by another 60 days to enable more Nigerians register and participate actively in next year’s general elections
But still quoting excerpts from the meeting, the Chairman, House committee on Electoral matters, Hon. Aisha Dukku, who spoke to news men, said:
“We saw the challenges of people queuing up to collect their PVC
“In response to the House resolution, the INEC was positive about it. However, the INEC, said it will inform Nigerians in view of how many days they will agree to extend it but needed time: To clean up the register And To display voters register”
She also announced that while they agreed there is need to increase time , they argued on the need for more machines to be provided to enable easy registration of voters