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Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will commence in the first quarter of 2021. The electoral body has also earmarked the sum of N1billion for the exercise.
This development was disclosed on Wednesday by the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu during a budget defence session with the Senate Committee on INEC.
He stated during the session that he is in support of diaspora voting and has called on the apex legislative body, the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act to that effect; to accommodate diaspora voting and early voting.
Professor Yakubu also sought for the approval of the Senate to spend N5.2 billion from the special INEC fund to make up for the shortfall in the 2020 budget which was cut due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
INEC had earlier said in October that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the voter registration exercise. The Chief Press Secretary to the commission said the virus was still very much in the community and the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) is a national exercise that requires the mobilisation of a lot of equipment, materials, and personnel.
Ganiu Oloruntade
