By Vincent Ujumadu, Dennis Agbo, Steve Oko, Ugochukwu Alaribe, Chinedu Adonu, Alumona Ukwueze, Emmanuel Iheaka & Jeff Agbodo
ENUGU – A cross-section of residents in the Southeast region have given varied reasons why they are not interested in participating in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
“People’s votes no longer count” – Ex-administrator
Chief Charles Okwor, a community leader and former administrator of Isi-Uzo Development Centre in Enugu State, said apathy towards the CVR is largely due to a loss of confidence in the electoral process.
According to him, “The reason people are not turning out for the continuous voter registration is because they are disenchanted. When people’s votes don’t count, how do you expect them to register again? At the end of the day, those they did not vote for are announced as winners, and this discourages participation.”
“I don’t believe my vote matters” – School leaver
In Owerri, Imo State, a school leaver, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, said he has lost faith in the electoral process.
“I don’t want to waste my time to queue and vote, only for the authorities to announce what they like. People suffered in 2023 but were disappointed. I am not voting because they already know who will win,” he stated.
“I’m not aware registration is on” – Driver
A commercial bus driver, Mr. Peter Amadi, said he would have asked his daughter to register if he knew the exercise was ongoing. He disclosed that three of his four children already have Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), except the last who just turned 18.
Obingwa residents seek ward registration centres
Residents of Agalaba Ward in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State appealed to INEC to establish ward-level registration centres. They lamented that the INEC office at the local government headquarters in Mgboko is too far, with transportation costing about N5,000.
“My job doesn’t give me time” – Abia voter
Some eligible voters in Abia State cited busy work schedules as their reason for not registering. A government driver in Umuahia explained that his job prevents him from having time to be captured, though he promised to register before October ends.
“Voting power can guarantee Igbo presidency” – Prof. Oji
Prof. Okey Oji of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology urged residents to register, stressing that only strong voter turnout could guarantee a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction. While acknowledging distrust in the electoral system, he called for proper enlightenment campaigns from INEC, governors, and community leaders.
“Politics is disillusioning” – Resident
An Enugu resident, Emmanuel Ekwa, said many Nigerians no longer have interest in CVR due to disillusionment. He urged the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act to allow electronic transmission of results for greater credibility.
“We no longer have confidence in INEC” – Ebonyi residents
Some residents in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, said bad governance and a lack of confidence in election outcomes discourage them from registering. One resident, Mrs. Anene Uduma, said: “There is no need stressing to get a voter card when, after voting, a different result is announced.”
Recent voter registration in Anambra ahead of the South Senatorial Zone bye-election recorded 168,187 registrants, with 58% being women. Analysts described the turnout as poor compared to other regions.
Some residents attributed this to past election experiences, with many saying they no longer believed their votes could influence outcomes.
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