By SALISU SANI-IDRIS
ABUJA- The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and its traditional rulers have sought extension of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) slated to end on Sunday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Senior Special Assistant on Community Relations to the FCT Minister, Mr Yamawo Tanko, made the appeal on Friday, when he visited the palaces of traditional rulers of Abaji, Yunusa Baba, and thay of Garki Usman Nga-Kupi, to assess the level of the exercise.
Yamawo said the FCT Administration was concerned over the need for free and fair exercise, and would always evolve measures that would ease the registration.
He explained that the exercise was slow in the territory because of few data capture machines in circulation, which should prompt the extension of the exercise by two weeks.
Yamawo said without voter cards, Abuja residents would not elect the people of their choice to represent them.
“We are visiting palace to palace to sensitise them to the issue of voter registration, the ongoing registration is likely going to be closed on Sunday.
” We want the traditional rulers to mobilise their people to come out en mass to register.
“The machines are not enough, even the available ones are slow, if you go to the registration centre, people are stranded; no machines to capture them.
” Therefore, we are calling on INEC to extend the registration so that every body that is within the voting age will be registered.
“Allowing people to register will help them elect a person of their choice during elections. Without voter card, no body will elect a good leader,” Yamawo said.
Responding, the Se’peyi of Garki Usman Nga-Kupi, urged the FCTA administration to liaise with INEC to extend the exercise for people to participate.
“July 31 is too close, it should be extended, if the registration closes Sunday that means the result is not achieved. Most of our people live in rural areas and the means of communication is very poor, you can’t reach them immediately.” (NAN)
