The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed earlier, that about 45 percent of new registrations on its voters register are invalid.It said it discovered this in the course of cleaning up the register and that the percentage of invalid registration rose to 60% in some states.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this in Abuja, at a news conference on the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).He said, as against the AFIS used in previous exercises, the Commission introduced the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) which is a more comprehensive and robust system, involving not just fingerprint identification but also facial biometric recognition.
He laments that many registrants, either out of ignorance that they do not need to re-register if they had done so before, or a belief that our systems will not detect this infraction, have gone out to register again.
“Presently, nearly 45% of completed registrations nationwide are invalid, rising to as high as 60% or more in some States. This infraction happened in all states of the Federation. No State is immune from it. These invalid registrations will not be included in the Register of Voters,” he stated.
He explained that during the period from 28th June to 20th December 2021, millions of Nigerians commenced their registration online and thereafter scheduled appointments to complete the process physically. Although, the number of new registrants is very impressive and demonstrates the eagerness of Nigerians to vote in the forthcoming elections, the Commission has a duty to clean up the data to ensure that only eligible Nigerians are registered.
Using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), the Commission was able to remove 4,239,923 invalid registrations and consequently, the Register of Voters for the 2015 General Election stood at 69,288,117 voters.
According to him, in its commitment to transparency, the distribution of the registration figures, including the percentages of valid and invalid registrations on a State-by-State basis, would be made available, as the same information would be uploaded to the Commission’s website and social media platforms immediately.
Yakubu said this development was worrisome because of the time and resources expended in handling these cases, adding that even more disturbing were the strong indications that some of its staff might be complicit in facilitating these infractions, notwithstanding stern warnings.
He urged political parties, the media, civil society organisations and the general public to assist the Commission in educating Nigerians about the problem of invalid registration.
Therefore, the Commission wishes to assure those who registered between January and March 2022 as well as those who are doing so right now that their PVCs will be ready for collection long before the 2023 General Election.
Source:pmnewsnigeria.com
Edited by: Ngozi Anna Akunne.
