The Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced a 50-day Continuous Voter Registration exercise across all 329 wards in Akwa Ibom State.
INEC’s Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Bukola Ojeme, disclosed the development in a statement on Tuesday, explaining that the exercise, which began on Monday, is aimed at bringing voter registration closer to the grassroots.
Ojeme said, “Eligible citizens can now register at their respective INEC Ward Collation Centres across the 329 wards in the state. Two wards in each local government area will be attended to daily.”
He added, “From Monday, the 2nd of February, the exercise will run at the ward level for 50 days.
This approach ensures that registration is accessible to citizens across the state.”
According to Ojeme, during the exercise, only the state headquarters registration centre will remain operational, while registration at the 31 local government offices will be suspended temporarily.
“The state registration centre will be running throughout, but local government offices will move activities to the wards, attending to two wards each day. After 50 days, registration will return to the local government offices for the remaining period of this phase,” he said.
Ojeme also explained that the INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVEDs) currently allocated to local governments will be rotated among wards to ensure full coverage. “No ward will be left out of the exercise. The IVEDs will be rotated across all wards,” he added.
He further warned against the use of unauthorised locations for registration, stressing, “Only approved Ward Collation Centres will be used. The commission will not tolerate taking the IVEDs to unauthorised centres.”
To guarantee transparency, Ojeme noted that INEC had approved a timetable for the rotation of enrolment devices and directed Electoral Officers to widely publicise it. “Citizens can monitor the timetable and report any violations through all stakeholder platforms,” he said.
He urged eligible voters, particularly those in rural areas, to take advantage of the opportunity, saying, “This is the chance for citizens to register and ensure their participation in upcoming elections.”
