The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says a total of 442,672 voters have so far registered online under the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Delta.

Rev. Monday Udoh-Tom, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Asaba.

He said the figure represented the number of voters who had successfully registered online since the commencement of CVR in June 2021.

”By our daily and weekly online releases, I can tell you that Delta has received a total of 442,672 online registration since the ongoing CVR commenced in June 2021.

”Out of the figure, a total of 188,919 have completed their registration process, while the remaining were yet to complete theirs,” he said.

He said that the commission commenced the on-going nationwide CVR on June 28, 2021, with the online component, while the in-person or physical registration component commenced on July 26, 2021.

Udoh-Tom, however, lamented the high number of those who have started their online registration process without the in-person or physical registration.

”If you have not completed your registration process, it is like, you have not done any registration, because we cannot issue you a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) on online registration.

”It is only when you have fully completed the registration process that INEC can now issue you a PVC.

”We are therefore appealing to stakeholders to show more commitment and interest in matters as crucial as voter registration, which forms the basis of democratic franchise.

”We also want to emphasize that, the on-going voter registration will benefit the state, it is not a partisan affair. It should therefore be seen in the light of what is good for Delta, irrespective of party affiliation,” he said.

He added: ”Though Delta is not doing badly, there is need for us to do more in terms of sensitisation on the ongoing CVR exercise.”

He also said that as part of the measures to create more awareness on the CVR, INEC has plans to hold town hall/clinics meetings in 10 Federal Constituencies across the state.

”The meeting is intended to bring together stakeholders in clusters of local government areas within each Federal Constituency under one roof to explain details of the devolution of CVR to the centres.

”Hopefully, the Town hall meetings will help to answer questions and concerns of stakeholders on the on-going exercise as well as engender robust response by them to take the message of mobilizing eligible registrants to the nooks and crannies of state.

”We are not going to stop there, after meeting with stakeholders, we have local government officers and our staff on ground who would also do sensitisation meetings in their various local government areas.

”All these are geared towards no one person will say I never knew we were doing voters registration,” he said.

Udoh-Tom also said that the commission would embark on visitation to 73 locations across the state.

He said that the essence of the visitation was to move closer to the people as well as ensure that they all participated in the CVR.