By Sodiq Omolaoye, Abuja,
84 million Nigerian voters more than 14 African countries combined, says INEC
Exactly one year after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) resumed the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), it, yesterday, said fresh registration in the ongoing CVR hit 10,487,972 as of 7:00 a.m. on Monday.
The Commission disclosed this in a CVR Update released in Abuja on Monday night. The Commission also disclosed that 8,631,696 registrants had completed their registrations with 3,250,449 online and 5,381,247 through physical registration.
According to INEC, the gender breakdown of the registrants that have completed their registration comprised 4,292,690 males and 4,339,006 females. The released statistics also indicated that 6,081,456 of the figure are youth, while 67,171 are Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
The update also revealed that as of 7:00 a.m. on Monday, INEC had received a total of 23,560,043 applications including applications for voter transfer, requests for replacement of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and updates of voter information records, among others.
The electoral body further disclosed that Nigeria’s voting population of 84 million registered voters is 11 million voters more than the combined registered voters of 14 other countries in the West African and Sahel region.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made this disclosure while receiving at the INEC headquarters, a visiting team of special representatives of the United Nations Secretary-General, led by the Head of the UN Office in West Africa and the Sahel region.
Yakubu pointed out the importance of Nigeria to the development of democratic processes, including elections in the region and the African continent generally.
He said the combined total number of registered voters in the remaining 14 countries in West Africa and the Sahel is 73 million, which is 11 million less than Nigeria’s 84 million registered voters.
He said the Commission was aware of the strategic importance of Nigeria in the region and the need to have stability, and peace through free, fair and credible elections.
He told the visitors that the figure depicts the enormity of INEC’s responsibility, adding that the Commission is always ready to work with agencies and nations in the international community to ensure the delivery of credible elections in the country.
Yakubu assured that INEC “will do what is right on the basis of the law, while the ultimate choice will be made by Nigerians on who they will vote for,” he said.
Head of delegation and Head of the UN Office in West Africa and the Sahel, Ahmad Saleh Annadif, assured INEC of its continuous support to further deepen Nigeria’s democracy.
He said Nigeria by virtue of population cannot be ignored in the West African region, adding that as the most populous black nation, peace and stability in the region largely depends on the stability of Nigeria. Annadif said the United Nations will ensure there is a free and credible election in Nigeria.
He congratulated the country for the successful conduct of party primaries across parties and expressed joy that candidates of parties have emerged peacefully.
