From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, urged the people of the South East geopolitical zone to participate actively in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Kalu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, on Wednesday, expressed concerns over the reports of low turnout of the people of South East in the exercise.
The deputy speaker, who stated that the CVR is a crucial step in ensuring that the voices of the people are heard, stated that the low turn out in the South East could have negative implications for the zone in future election.
According to him, the active participation of the zone in the exercise would enable the people to fully exercise their franchise and choose leaders of their choice during elections.
Therefore, Kalu urged the people to maximize the opportunity offered to them by the electoral umpire and visit the voter registration centres around them and register en masse in the ongoing exercise.
He said ” if we want development, we must show we want to be part of the decision making mechanism and that starts by preparing to vote and be voted for. Beyond party lines, let the region show our strength by the volume of registered voters from the Igbo nation.
“This is an opportunity to be part of the decision making mechanism of government. Development is for every one and democracy has dividends for participation, so, let’s participate now”.