The INEC register is now online!
A few months ago, the Independent National Electoral Committee (INEC) confirmed that it was going to release a comprehensive voters register that would contain information about all the registered voters and their polling units. A few days ago, they did exactly that.
The gist is that the INEC register is online for all registered voters to check their information, confirm if it is accurate and lay complaints to INEC if its not. However, while browsing for their information, people started noticing suspicious voter information and shared their concerns on Twitter.
It turns out so many other people noticed similar irregularities while checking for their information too. The INEC register included the pictures and details of children and teenagers, counting them as registered voters–which is an anomaly unless INEC itself was compromised. The legal age for voting in Nigeria is 18 and the introduction of the BVAS will help mitigate any form of underage voting but INEC itself has to make sure underage children are not captured on the INEC register.
One account on Twitter requested a comprehensive audit of the INEC register because they found at least 5000 underage voter information on the INEC register in just one LGA in Borno. If that has happened in one LGA alone, imagine how much more will be on the INEC register nationwide.
The national commissioner of INEC, Mr Fetus Okoye, was on Channels tv discussing the issue of underage voters on the register. He stated that he wasn’t surprised that objections were coming up because one of the aims of putting out the register is to ensure that Nigerians help the commission identify those that shouldn’t be on the INEC register.
He also stated that two registers were adopted the one from the CVR done this year and the one from the previous election and so there is a very large possibility that errors from the previous register will reflect on the new one. He mentioned that the cleaning up of the register is a continuous process and pleaded with Nigerians to cooperate with the commission to get it done better and faster.
He also stated that some INEC staffs are complicit in the illegal registration of underage voters and that the commission is currently looking into it and those that are found guilty will be adequately punished.
Anyhow, for those that have completed their registration, you can check for your information on the INEC register by going to their website. Log in, input the necessary information and your details should be displayed instantly. Those with complaints can also register them with INEC through email.
#STATEAFFAIRS is a segment that gives you a quick rundown of various political and state issues as they happen in the most simple, subtle language. In this edition, we are looking at the major issues with the released INEC register.
