http://www.newsportng.com.ng Youth Group under the auspices of Unified Nigerian Youth Forum, (UNYF) has rejected the extension of continuous Voters Registeration and Validation for additional 60 days.
This was contained in a Press statement personally signed by the group’s President, Abdulsalam Mohammed Kazeem, on Wednesday.
According to the Youth Forum President, the extension will disenfranchised over 7.7 millions of their members who will attain the age of 18 years by September 3rd and September 25th 2022, due to INEC proposed new deadline.
He further stated that “The commission should rather urgently embarked on the expansion of its voters Registration and validation infrastructure to serve the teeming visible numbers of Nigerians, who are patriotic and willing to excercise their civil duties in 2023 than trying to delebrately disenfranchised them by man made factors.”
“Our Forum alone for instance, have over 10 millions registered/financial members cut across the Nation, which has further proven that Unified Nigerian Youth Forum members constitute a significant percentage of all previous periodic Elections, held in our respected country and our position to call for extension beyond the new 60 days is for the interest of all and sundry.
“The leadership of unified Nigerian Youth forum (UNYF) reject the extension of the Continuous Voters Registration and validation for additional 60 days intotatality due to the fact that, if the Registration should stop on August 29th as proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, over 7.7 millions of our members who will attain the age of 18 by September 3rd and September 25th 2022 will be automatically disenfranchised due to INEC proposed new deadline.
“We as a Forum sincerely hope that independent National electoral commission (INEC) would reconsider extending the Voters Registration and Validation excercise to cover significant numbers of those who are willing but un-able to get their PVC’S till date, due to long queues, corrupt process, lack of availability of enough centres, favourism and late report to duty post by most INEC officials saddles with the tasks.
“Going by independent National electoral commission (INEC) proposal the registration will stop by August ending; to us this show that many eligible Nigerians will be delebrately disenfranchised and our members inclusive; It’s unconstitutional, shameful, unacceptable, inlegal and outdated for INEC to proposed closing her portal 5 months to General elections in this 21st century, where technology is the new order of the day.
“As one of the developing Nations for instance, expectedly we should go the way of international standards and best practices, there’s nothing wrong for the registration to stop a week or few days to general elections, but we are aware that we are not ready for such due to some certain factors associated with electoral processes in our nation, but never the less the budgetary allocation of INEC is enough reasons for all stakeholders to demand for the best in the above regards.
“Independent National electoral commission attempt to close the Continuous Voters Registration and Validation excercise by September ending calls for serious concern, the amount allotted for elections periodically and the support they enjoyed has further expose the commission lack of determination to give our nation the best, for instance, over 150 billions is budgeted for 2023 and the said excercise is part of there budget approved for INEC, so the commission should rather urgently embarked on the expansion of its voters Registration and validation infrastructure to serve the teeming visible numbers of Nigeria who are patriotic and willing to excercise their civil duties in 2023 than trying to delebrately disenfranchised them by man made factors.
“History will be fair to only those who stand by the majority” we salute the courage of the Zamfara State Governor for declaring a work free week in this regards and the leadership of the House of representatives who seek for extension of the said excercise for 60 days and was approved today, and we equally condemned Intotatality the silent of all those who refuses to speak; because they felt the era of ghost voters will affect their victory as usual.” He added
