By ANAYO OKOLI
Umuahia—ACTION Congress of Nigeria, CAN, governorship candidate in Imo State for the 2011 general elections, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, has decried the frustration of the people  in their bid to register their names in the on-going voters’ registration, and called on INEC to improve on its performance so that people would not be disfranchised unnecessarily.

Ararume also warned that if the mistakes being complained against by the electorate were not corrected, it could cause apathy, which could make the exercise not very successful.

He urged the commission to ensure that every eligible voter was registered to ensure that no Nigerian was disenfranchised, pointing out that the ability of every eligible voter to register would be a sure step to the success of the exercise.

Speaking with newsmen, Ararume, who said he tried unsuccessfully for a long period before he could register, described the exercise as one of the benchmark towards a credible, free and fair election in 2011. He, however, advised the people to exercise patience, saying INEC was on top of the matter.

He explained that the Resident Electoral Commissioner had assured that everything was being brought under control, expressed the hope that the initial hiccups would give way.

According to him, the task of conducting credible election in the country is not an easy task for INEC, hence he prayed that all hands must be on deck to ensure that they are supported to get things right.

He said: “The success of the forthcoming general election in the country begins with the proper registration of eligible voters, which is what INEC is doing now. Without a credible voters’ register, you cannot begin to talk of a credible election. So everybody must support INEC to get it right.

“Once the voters’ register is credible, the likelihood of fraud is reduced. So I urge people to be patient with INEC so that the present problem can be overcome. INEC must find a better way of addressing the problem squarely in the interest of the people.”