VOTERS' REGISTRATION

The inability of some Nigerians within the voting age to register during voters registration has been identified as one of the challenges facing the Nigerian voting system.
In today's news analysis, correspondent underscores the benefits of voters registratin in Nigeria.
A voter is a citizen who is eligible to vote in an election while registration simply means the process of registering voters electronically or manually.
Voter registration is therefore a process of documenting citizen's names and other details in an electronic or manual data base of the nation's electoral body.
Voter registration is the right of every eligible citizen to participate in the choice of those to stare the governance of their country.
Voter registration is therefore one of the cornerstones of any democratic processes, that promotes free and fair elections.
For eligible citizens to vote and be voted for, there must be a comprehensive and inclusive voter's register.
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, has commenced another round of the continuous voters registration exercise across the country with the aim of registering those who are now of voting age and those above but are yet to be registered.
The on going voters registration exercise has witnessed some challenges such as ineffective co-ordination by some INEC officials, lackadaisical attitudes by some INEC officials to work, inadequate voter registration centers, ignorance on the part of many Nigerians on where, when and how to get registered amongst others.
Voters registration, no doubt helps the electoral agency to ascertain the total number of registered voters towards ensuring that only registered voters, vote on election days and disallow those not registered from voting.
Despite these benefits to the nation's electoral system, many Nigerians still see voter registration as an exercise that does not concern them, yet they complain about bad governance and incompetent political office holders after elections, in which they disenfranchised themselves by not being registered.
Indeed, voter registration is the first step for eligible Nigerians to empower themselves to elect politicians of their choice and by extension determine the governance of their nation.
Unfortuately, many Nigerians complain after elections, even when they failed to vote because they did not register, while some registered ones stay at home on e;ection day, thereby denying themselves of the opportunity to choose good leaders.
Therefore, Nigerians who are eighteen yeats and above but are yet to register, should seize the opportunity of the on going voters registration exercise to empower themselves for the forthcoming political elections.
Nigerians should not see a voter's card as their power to run bank transactions alone, but as their right to determine the political landscape of Nigeria.
INEC on its part shold look at possible ways to increase the number of voters registration centers to accommodate more eligible voters and also run jungles on radio and television to help sensitize Nigerians who are yet to register.
Furthermore, Nigerians who have registered but are yet to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, should go to their Local Government Secretariats or where they registered to collect their PVCs.
Those who misplaced or damaged their voters cards should apply for a replacement, to enable them exercise their franchise on the day of election.
If you are not registered you cannot vote, and if you do not vote, you should not complain after elections.
The time to register is now