LAGOS-The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday appealed to eligible voters in Lagos State to participate in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Lagos State, Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, said that the ongoing CVR in the state was an opportunity for eligible voters to be registered to be able to vote during the 2015 general elections.
Ogunmola spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
NAN reports that INEC began CVR in 11 local government areas of Lagos on Nov. 12. The exercise will end on Nov. 17.
Ogunmola advised eligible voters to use the opportunity of the CVR in the state to know whether their names were on INEC database through the displayed register of voters.
“This is another opportunity for them to have their data captured so that they will be able to exercise their civic responsibility of choosing leaders of their choice.
“It is a good thing for them as patriotic Nigerians to be part of this exercise so that we also can be like other countries of the world.
“We know that in this country, partaking in election is not compulsory, but we have countries like Argentina where it is compulsory,” he said.
Ogunmola advised the people to take advantage of the exercise to be part of the electoral process.
The REC said that the commission desired that all eligible voters would have been registered by the time it would conclude data capture.
Meanwhile, Mr Toyin Raheem, the Secretary General of the Campaign for Constitutionalism and Human Rights, has urged INEC to allow members of the electorate to use both the temporary and permanent voter cards in the 2015 elections.
“If it be that some eligible voters are unable to get their PVCs before the elections, in order not to disenfranchise them, they should be allowed to use the temporary cards and the PVCs simultaneously for the general elections until every Nigerian gets his or hers,” he said.
(NAN)