Osun APC ready for voters’ registration

The Interim Chairman of the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, has said the party is ready for the voters registration exercise planned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC had, during the week, announced that voters registration in Osun and Ekiti states will begin on March 12 in preparation for the governorship elections.

Speaking to The Nation in Osogbo, during the party registration exercise, the party boss said the ruling party is ready to mobilise people of registration age to go all out and get their names into INEC’s register so that they can be part of the next election in the state.

“As a party that is in government, we will ensure that the people participate fully in the planned voters registration exercise. It is by getting their names into the INEC register that they will be able to exercise their right to choose good leaders for the state again later this year. We are ready to do our duties as a party towards the success of the exercise,” he said.

He, however, called on the INEC to ensure that its registration officers are patient with the people especially in the rural areas.

“Voter registration is the first step to ensuring credible and violence free elections.  So, everybody should come out to register. I, however, want to appeal to the registration officers to cooperate and especially be patient with the people when they get to the rural areas in order to ensure that everybody is registered,” he added.

INEC’s Director (Voter Registration), Emmanuel Akem, said the exercise would enable the commission to accommodate complaints arising from previous voter registration. He said the commission would use Registration Area Officers (RAOs) at ward levels, adding that the INEC might use mobile platforms to register voters.

“We want to use the opportunity of the CVR to correct mistakes in terms of biometrics in the previous registration. The choice of the registration centres at the wards is to increase participation.”

He said those who could not register at the wards could come to INEC local government offices to register.