The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed concern over the low turnout of registrants in Gombe State in the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Sa’ad Idris, disclosed this on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe.
“Gombe State is significantly behind other states in terms of the number of voter registrations. When compared with states in the South like Osun, which has recorded over 34,000 applications, or Yobe with more than 30,000, Gombe is lagging behind,” Idris said.
He urged stakeholders to step up awareness campaigns to boost participation, stressing the need for residents to take advantage of INEC’s online registration platform and complete the process at designated centres.
Idris added that the commission would soon launch a sensitisation drive using radio jingles and other media outreach to improve awareness.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya, represented by the chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, Abdu Garba, described the exercise as vital to strengthening democracy and pledged the state government’s support in mobilising citizens for registration.
Similarly, the Emir of Gombe, Abubakar Shehu III, represented by Dr. Sani Jauro, Danlawan of Gombe, expressed concern over the low turnout and assured that the traditional institution would intensify mobilisation for both registration and Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection.
