The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has registered 61,075 new voters in Kogi.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. James Apam, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lokoja at a meeting between the commission and leaders of political parties in the state.
He said that the new registrants were captured during the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise which started nationwide on April 7.
According to Apam, the voters comprised of 31,438 males and 29, 637 females.
The commissioner further stated that 2,189 cases of transfer of voter cards were treated while 3,060 damaged or defaced permanent voter cards were replaced for the owners.
He also explained that 8, 476 permanent voter cards were distributed within the same period.
Apam, however, said that 282,747 cards were still lying uncollected, pleading with the party leaders to help sensitise voters on the need to collect their cards.
In response to the increasing number of eligible voters turning out for the CVR, the REC said seven additional registration centres had been created across the three senatorial districts of the state.
According to him, the new registration centres are located at Zango Daji in Adavi Local Government, Ganaja in Ajaokuta Local Government, Obajana in Lokoja Local Government and Ojogu in Ankpa Local Government.
Others include Ayangba in Dekina Local Government and Akutupa-Kiri in Kabba/Bunu Local Government.
He also said INEC had set machinery in motion to improve on the electoral process and urged parties and their leaders to cooperate with the commission.
Apam also appealed to them to help INEC sustain the current impressive turn out of eligible voters for the ongoing registration.
The State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Bode Ogunmola, called on INEC to continue to be transparent and be fair in its handling of issues relating to the 2019 elections.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Mr Ibrahim Itodo, urged party leaders to promote internal democracy in their respective parties.
He said that doing so would lead to a reduction in political violence and litigation.
The stakeholder meeting was attended by PDP, Labour Party, APGA, PPA, UPN and Young Democratic Party.(NAN)
