By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka

As the continuous voter registration (CVR) continues at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) local government area centers across the country, an independent election observer group, Yiaga Africa’s Watching the Vote (WTV) has expressed worry over what it described as the poor deployment of security personnel at the centers.

People trained by YIAGA are observing the exercise in 151 INEC registration centers across the six geopolitical zones of the country where it noted, there were improvements on the deployment of staff and keeping the centers open until all intending registrants on the queue were attended to.

However, it said that lack of adequate security and near absence of political parties or their agents was contributing to the low turnout of eligible registrants.

ALSO READ: TRAGIC: French footballer, Adams dies after 39yrs in coma

The election observer said: “There is an opportunity for improvement because in the five weeks of the commencement of the physical (in-person) CVR exercise, only 23% of those who registered online have concluded their voter registration in the INEC designated canters.

“This also indicates that young people are leveraging the online platform as shown by INEC’s data but are not completing the physical registration. There is therefore an ardent need for more citizen engagement by INEC and stakeholders in mobilizing intending registrants who have completed the online process to ensure they complete the registration at the various INEC Continuous Voter Registration centers across the country.

ALSO READ: Yiaga hails Gov Fintiri over signing of VAPP into law

“Yiaga Africa commends INEC for bringing the CVR process closer to the people in Anambra state by decentralizing the process to Registration Area/Wards in Anambra state from 30 August to 5 September 2021 ahead of the November 6 Governorship election.

“ INEC data as of 30th August 2021 indicates that a total of 2,485,770 new registrants completed the online pre-registration. A total of 569,828 registration have completed both the online and in-person (physical) registration, with Anambra state recording a total of 39,428 completed registration.

The organization called on Nigerians to take advantage of the ongoing CVR exercise, especially the young people in Anambra State, who will be going to the polls on 6 November 2021 for the governorship election.

Vanguard News Nigeria