The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has been encouraged to make stronger efforts to register more Nigerians even though the exercise has officially ended last Sunday.
This advice came last Sunday from the founder, Akurulo Youth Foundation, Barr Ogala Osoka who in partnership with the Abia State Government and INEC organized a concert to afford Abians the opportunity to beat the INEC deadline.
Speaking early Monday morning after the concert, Barr Osoka said “Our idea is to get the Abia youths to register to enable them meet with INEC deadline and for INEC to step up the registration of the young people.
“INEC has to extend the registration to enable all Nigerians register and must treat it as critical for more people to register.
He expressed his disappointment that people wait till the last minute to register adding, “the Commission must make stronger efforts to accommodate everybody”.
“Looking at the exercise, there is apathy across the people. The exercise should continue and should not be an end.
“So, we encourage people to end apathy and it is not a one-year thing, but a continuous exercise.
“INEC is gross under-staffed and its headquarters over-run with work, hence the need to do more in making the equipment available at the next elections”, he advised.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the state governor on Youths and Student Affairs, Chibuzor Uchendu, under whose office the event is taking place said the occasion was put in place to ensure that more Abians especially the youths register before the deadline.
“PVC registration didn’t start today and more people will register late, courtesy of the concert”, he said.
Reacting, some registrants including Miss Divine Chinedum, Mazi Okey Okoro and Kalu Onwuka expressed their joy over the opportunity provided by the concert to register, pleading with INEC to extend the deadline, and to provide veritable online platform for people to register comfortably.
The concert featured sensitization lectures, talent hunts and musical plays by Rugged Man, Mr. Raw and J Martins among others.
