The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Anambra State Branch, has condemned what it described as the indifference of the governors of the five South-East states to the widespread apathy among people in the region towards the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The group expressed disappointment that, despite its earlier appeals, no South-East governor has declared “Operation Show Your Voter’s Card” or appointed a Senior Special Adviser on Continuous Voter Registration.
The State Chairman of the CLO, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, made the remarks in a statement issued in Awka on Wednesday.
The nationwide CVR exercise, which commenced on August 18, 2025, and was originally scheduled to end on July 10, 2026, has been extended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) until Sunday, July 26, 2026.
The CLO called on political, traditional, religious, market and civil society leaders across the South-East to take advantage of the extension to mobilise eligible citizens to register and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
It stressed the need for immediate executive action, including the appointment of CVR focal persons in all local government areas and the deployment of state resources to support the registration exercise.
The organisation said the region must urgently reverse its poor voter registration record, warning that continued voter apathy could further weaken the South-East’s political influence in the country.
“The PVC remains the foundation of democratic participation, and the South-East cannot continue to complain of political marginalisation while recording the lowest voter registration and turnout figures in the country.
“We are worried about the lack of urgency among many leaders in the region over this issue. While other geopolitical zones are actively mobilising citizens for voter registration, many South-East leaders have shifted their focus to the 2027 general elections instead of encouraging eligible voters to register,” Ezekwueme said.
He challenged political leaders, stakeholders and concerned citizens to assess their contributions to increasing voter registration, asking how many people they had personally mobilised to participate in the exercise.
The organisation also urged the National Orientation Agency and INEC to intensify public enlightenment campaigns across communities, markets, churches, schools and motor parks to create greater awareness of the ongoing CVR exercise and its importance.
It further appealed to the agencies to address challenges confronting prospective registrants, including technical failures, prolonged delays, inadequate personnel and the alleged poor attitude of registration officials.
The CLO specifically called on the Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elizabeth Agwu, to conduct unscheduled visits to registration centres to assess operational challenges firsthand.
“Some prospective registrants have complained of demands for bribes before registration or the collection of their voter cards, inadequate manpower at registration centres and erratic electricity supply. Some have reportedly visited registration centres repeatedly without being successfully registered.
“None of the South-East governors has launched a coordinated campaign to encourage voter registration or appointed dedicated officials to drive the CVR exercise across their states.
“This extension of the CVR exercise is a rare opportunity, and we call on traditional rulers, presidents-general of town unions, market leaders, religious institutions, women’s groups and youth organisations to intensify grassroots mobilisation to ensure that more eligible residents register before the exercise closes,” the statement said.
The organisation said increasing voter registration and participation is essential to strengthening the South-East’s political relevance and representation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
