People of Igbo origin residing in various states of the federation outside Southeast, have registered not less than 12 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise that will end officially tomorrow, Thursday, June 30, a report has said.
The figure, it was learnt, is an outcome of a massive conscious sensitisation and education embarked upon nationwide by a committee to ensure that every eligible Igbo gets registered and have the PVC.
It was also learnt that objective is to correct the presumption that Ndigbo can be pushed aside in political schemes of the country and the concomitant marginalisation of the region.
A member of the committee who monitored the CVR exercise in Ondo State, South West of Nigeria, said while giving an update on Ondo that, “As at Friday 25th June 2023, over 12 million Ndigbo have been registered to vote in the 19 states of the North, 5.8m in the 6 states of the South-South, more than 10m in the 5 states of the South-East”.
In the report the eminent elderstatesman and a chieftain of Ime Obi, an arm of the Ohanaeze, discloses that efforts are being made to up the figure hugely.
He said in a footnote, “Our target is 40m and with the cooperation of INEC Ndigbo will register nothing less by God’s grace and given the sensitisation, education, consciousness and enthusiasm of Ndigbo nationwide”.
This is coming after Senator Dino Melaye mocked the region, saying Igbo votes are no more than 3million and by implication the PDP Presidential Candidate can do without Igbo votes in 2023 Presidential election.
Putting the records straight the Ohanaeze chieftain stated: “I just came back from a monitoring tour of the situation in the South West.
IGBO TOWNS UNION SOUTH WEST:
(New INEC Voter Registrations.)
UPDATE ON ONDO:
Akure south 58,780
Akure North 8,210
Ondo West 26,890
Ondo East 3,400
Odigbo 45,378
Ileluji 7,590
Akoko (1) 55,700
Akoko(2) 36,031
Idanre (1) 41,000
Idanre (2) 1,600
Idanre (3) 943
Idanre (4) 3000
Ifon 5,378
Ose 8,940
Okitipupa 12,000
Ilaje 9,200
Irele 12,016
Total = 371,114 (NEW) plus 298,400(2020 figure)
Updated total = 669,514 for Ondo.
Iju = 7,540
Eseodo = 14,303
Itagbolu = 12,947
Igbaraoke = 15,874
Ijare = 3,150
Total = 53,814 + 669,514
Latest updated total for Ondo
723,328
UPDATE FOR OYO
New registration = 319,052
2019 record = 675,000
Updated total = 994,052
OGUN
New registration = 216,320
2019 record = 856, 289
Updated total 1,072,609
EKITI
284,100
UPDATE FOR OSUN
New registration = 311,200
2018 record = 278,340
Updated total = 589,540
Continuing, “These are the ones the Town Unions could get for now, there are some leaders whose numbers I couldn’t reach, as to tender their records.
Currently we have about 3,609,915 (3,663,629) registered voters in southwest outside Lagos. I am sure it may hit 5 million after the exercise and including Lagos.”