Former Ekiti State Governorship Aspirant, Otunba Peter Obafemi, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make voter registration an all-year-round activity.
Speaking at a recent engagement in Lagos, Obafemi highlighted the need for a more accessible and efficient registration process.
“The periodic registration process is often hectic and too close to polls, leaving out a lot of young people,” Obafemi stated.
He argued that with current technological advancements, INEC should explore ways to allow citizens to register as soon as they reach voting age.
Obafemi explained, “The commission should find a means of allowing people who clock 18 to immediately register and get their cards as soon as possible. First, this would create a sense of patriotism and impose the importance of civic duty on them as soon as they hit the age of maturity.”
Addressing the upcoming elections in Edo and Ondo states, the former Governorship Aspirant stressed the importance of these polls for INEC’s reputation.
“If INEC thinks the public see them as totally credible, then they lie to themselves. They lost further credibility during the 2023 polls.
“Now, with the tension in Edo, all eyes will be on them to see if it can be trusted or not. That’s a chance they must not lose,” he said.
Otunba Obafemi concluded by reiterating the significance of smooth elections, stating, “A peaceful poll without ‘glitches’ would restore confidence in our electoral process and in INEC as an institution.”
