The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has approved 10 additional Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) centres for each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
A statement by the Director, Voter Education and Public Enlightenment, Oluwole Osaze Uzzi, said the creation of these registration centres bring to total, 672 additional centres across the federation since the commencement of the exercise in April this year.
The decision by the Commission to increase the Registration centres was born out of the desire to ensure every eligible citizen gets registered in the on-going CVR exercise ahead of the 2019 general elections.
It would be recalled that INEC, on the 27th of April, 2017 commenced the CVR exercise as envisaged in the Electoral Act (2010 as amended). The exercise is currently in its third quarter.
Meanwhile, the commission has commended the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) for its partnership in the deployment of Electoral Alternative Dispute Resolution (EADR) in resolving electoral disputes.
Yakubu who called for greater partnership gave the commendation at the Annual Conference & Induction Ceremony of ICMC, held in Abuja.
Represented by national commissioner, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, the INEC chairman noted that the introduction of EADR through several interventions such as trainings, mediations exercise and sensitization of electoral/political stakeholders had greatly helped in reducing cases of litigations in the electoral cycle.
Professor Yakubu expressed optimism that with greater partnership with the ICMC, there would be more awareness on the use of ADR in resolving electoral disputes.
In recognition of his believe and deployment of Alternative Dispute Resolution, the INEC Chairman was conferred with Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators.
The Commission had in the past, through its ADR Directorate, deployed the EADR tool in resolving electoral disputes in different states.
