The news that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has bowed to pressure and will be extending the deadline for the voter registration exercise was broke on Wednesday amidst cheers and celebration nationwide, Clariform reporters have confirmed.

Those interviewed nationwide were filled with wide jubilation and expressed their appreciation to the electoral body hiding to the popular call to shift the end date of 30^th June already set by the Commission for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

“Sure we are overjoyed about the news. That is the right thing to do. It is in the best interest of the country”, said Joy Ezekwem, a civil servant with the Abia State civil service.

A Lagos businessman by name Joseph Olubunmi described it as “granting of the people`s wishes. It gives us the opportunity to take back our country and that is exactly what this election means to me personally”, he said.

Sule Muhammed, a student of the University of Abuja, who has been home since the beginning of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was more emotional in his response.

According to him, “60 days is good. This is in fact a lifeline to the country and we the youths in particular. This is the time to get involved. PVC is identification for many of us in many things now. We are mobilizing people to register for this coming election and there are so many yet to register.

“That’s why I said the extension is a life safer, because these many people who have not registered all still want to register, but the crowd has been too much. The time extension will make it possible to spread the crowd.”

The news of the shift in date was first broke by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Aisha Dukku. He said that the Commission has confirmed to the extension for another 60 days.

This was following the resolution of the House of Representatives asking INEC for the 60 days extension to allow more time for Nigerians across the country to be able to register to vote in the 2023 elections.

The House Committee Chairman confirmed that pursuant to the resolution, which was passed following the adoption of a motion by a lawmaker from Abia State, Benjamin Kalu, the Committee further engaged with INEC on the matter.

In an update to the House by the Chairman on Wednesday, the Chairman disclosed that INEC has not only agreed to extend the registration period, but has also committed to additional steps to ease the troubles faced by Nigerians scampering across the country to get registered in the CVR for their PVCs.

Dukku said that the Commission will also extend the registration beyond week days through weekends, and will also provide “additional machines, additional ad-hoc staff, and of course, he’s going to collaborate with the security agencies.”

In essence, the disclosure from Dukku means that all the prayers contained in the motion by Benjamin Kalu were granted in full by the Mahmoud Yakubu led INEC, whom he said would soon be making an official statement in confirmation of these developments.

NOTABLE QUOTES

In his update at plenary, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Aisha Dukku said the following:

“He (INEC chairman) has already agreed to extend but for the court injunction he is to appear on the 29^th of June,” she said.

“That notwithstanding, he said it has been guaranteed that it has to be extended, and not just extending but also it would additionally be done during weekends. He has agreed to that and that he is going to make a statement very soon to that effect.

“That extension also involves additional machines, additional ad-hoc staff, and of course, he’s going to collaborate with the security agencies to make sure that is also done.

“So all the prayers of the motion were approved and all members of the committee were there, including the mover of the motion.”

WHAT TO NOTE

Clariform had reported about a court process initiated by SERAP to force INEC to agree to this extension, which is now fixed for hearing on the 29^th of June 2022, after ex-parte application for an injunction was granted by the Federal High Court against INEC.

From this new development, the extant injunction against INEC, and the continuation of the substantive suit may already have become an academic exercise, and may soon be struck out by the court, as the actual purpose of the suit has already been mate.