Residents of Lekki and its environs are in the process of being disenfranchised, as many have been unable to register in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
The exercise, which ends yesterday, has excluded many residents of the area, where no registration centre was provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Those who have registered, said residents, went to other communities in the axis, something that may be a disincentive to voting as they may be unable to leave their area in time for accreditation and voting on election days.
“They want to disenfranchise us. Can you imagine that INEC has no single registration centre in Lekki. Not here, not the ocean side. People who have registered did so in Ajah. It means they will be discouraged from voting on election days when movement is usually restricted,” said Jenkins Alumona, an advertising practitioner and former journalist, who lives in Lekki.
Another resident, who identified himself Seyi Daisi, said he has been going round the area for days in the hope of finding a place to register, but he has found none.
“I walked around, asked around but have found not one registration centre. INEC wants us to vote but is unwilling to ensure that we get registered close to our homes. How are we supposed to vote if we register in far away places? Those who have registered, I believe, have no plan to vote because they won’t be able to move over great distances on election days. They registered in other places just to fulfil all righteousness,” said Daisi.
He added that he would not be surprised if no Lekki resident votes in next year’s election.
source: dailyindependentnig
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