Is continuous registration of voters on course?

Stakeholders have been assessing the on-going continuous voters’ registration, ahead next year’s general elections. How is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) grappling with the challenges? MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE asks.

Though the 2019 general elections is about one year away, preparations for the contest are already creating excitements across the country. This was perhaps fuelled by the early release of the election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the change in the order of the elections by the National Assembly.

In this regard, INEC commenced the Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR) exercise April last year, to accommodate those who did not register earlier and those that have just turned 18. Towards the end of last year, there were speculations that the exercise would be terminated by January 31. But, INEC made it clear that the exercise would continue until 60 days before the general elections.

The commission has been advising eligible voters to go to its offices in all local government headquarters and other officially-designated areas across the country between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays, to get registered.

But, many prospective voters from across the country have been complaining about the exercise. For instance, they say INEC appears to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of people turning out for the exercise.  The commission has come under the hammer for not being able to provide adequate staff with the prerequisite training to carry out the exercise. Some people have complained that some of the ad hoc staff conducting the exercise displayed incompetence in the conduct of the task they were recruited to perform.

In some cases, the machines appear to be slow, making it difficult to register many potential voters. The situation has resulted in the loss of productive hours, given that those who want to participate spend longer time than necessary at registration centres.

Besides, the commission has been accused of not providing adequate information to prospective voters about the procedure of applying for change of polling units by people that have moved away from where they registered. As a result, such persons do not know how they can transfer of their polling units to their new abode.

People have equally complained that some INEC officials have been demanding for gratification from people before they get registered. Observers say middlemen who are not even INEC staff have been taking advantage of the ignorance or the frustration of eligible voters — particularly those want to obtain the card for purposes of identification — by extorting money from them.

The Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Sam Olumekun, said the commission would sanction any erring staff that collects money from the people before registering them. He said INEC would not compromise standard in the conduct of 2019 election.

Olumekun urged members of the public to report anyone who demands gratification from them to the authorities. He said the fraud was not done by INEC staff alone, but outsiders who collude with them, by turning the exercise into a private business.

He said: “The commission’s problem in the on-going voters’ registration exercise is extortion. Reports have reached us that some people are being asked to pay some money before they are registered.

“I must say any staff caught demanding for any form of gratification will be dealt with according to the law. Nobody is supposed to give any dime to anybody before he or she can be registered. The public should watch out and report anybody who falls within the category.”

The REC said no fewer than 55 registration centres exist Lagos and that INEC headquarters recently deployed additional 30 new machines to address the challenges arising on-going registration exercise.

He added: “The chairman was actively involved and ensured that new machines were provided for us in Lagos State. Let me assure you that within the last few days when these machines arrived, we are able to register an average of 2,500 voters every day.

“On this note, I want to assure the people of Lagos that we are not resting on our oars and we implore them to come out to register for coming election. There was this damaging rumour that by January 31, INEC was going to stop the exercise; let me use this forum to tell Lagosians that the exercise continues until further notice.  And for the avoidance of doubt this exercise continues certainly till December 2018.”

Olumekun cautioned against multiple registrations, noting that people found it more convenient to register afresh each time the opportunity throws itself. He said many of those that have changed their location prefer to register afresh, instead of obtaining the necessary forms at the local government to transfer the registration centre to their new abode.

He said: “That will result in multiple registrations and it is not acceptable. We implore those who have registered in the past not to come back for fresh registration. What they should do is to confirm their status on our website.

“I will to call on Nigerians who registered between 2011 and 2015 to check the status of their registration with their phones in the comfort of the homes through the INEC website provided for the verification.”

An Assistant Director, NOA, Yaba, Lagos, Mrs Abiodun Shittu, who addressed members of Yaba community during the flag off of the exercise, said the agency would ensure that the public were given the necessary information to make them participate.

She said: “That is why we brought people who can speak the local dialects of the people to enable them appreciate the importance of the exercise. The agency will move from ward to ward within the Yaba council area to enlighten them on the importance of the exercise.

“We have a responsibility to inform the people and I am very confident that the NOA will not default as far its mandate to the people is concerned. I must say that the turnout today is an indication that awareness is now high side.”

The founder and National Chairman of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, said the idea of restricting the registration centres to INEC offices in local government headquarters is not the very best. He said in most cases, council headquarters are far away from wards and communities where the bulk of the people live.

Okorie added: “So, it is discouraging for people to move from their areas of residence to council headquarters for the exercise. The people are held down, because of the prevailing economic condition. My suggestion has always been that the registration exercise should be brought closer to the people at the ward levels.

“Again, the sensitization exercise should be a daily affair; it is equally the responsibility of other stakeholders to be involved in the exercise. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) should see this as its major assignment for now. If all these things are done and INEC do not implement the electronic voting, we may not get the full benefit of improved voter registration exercise.”

The founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said Nigerians would appreciate the continuous voters’ registration more when they are able to vote electronically. He said: “If you have voters’ registration without voters’ participation the purpose would be defeated. It is only electronic voting system people can be assured that their votes will count. That is the only way many people can leave the comfort of their homes to queue up and vote, knowing that it will count.”

The commission has also been under severe criticisms, following the circulation of footages of underage voters in Kano State in the socio media. INEC had explained that it was on top of the situation. It said it would get to the root of the matter and that anybody found culpable would face the law. INEC chairman, Prof. Mamood Yakubu, said the commission had set up a committee to investigate the allegation.

A former National Commissioner of INEC, Prof. Lai Olurode, said he was almost killed, when he tried to prevent under age voters some years back. The commissioner’s statement supported the allegation being raised against the commission that element not qualified to vote were in INEC database.

The Afenifere Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the success of the exercise depends on the will power to correct the mistakes of the past. He said: “It is clear from what has happened in Kano that we do not have credible voters register at the moment. A situation where children of five years are having PVC all over the place is a pointer to buttress what had been said in 2015.

“When Prof. Attahiru Jega was distributing voters cards, whereas he was busy distributing PVC to individual in the southern part of the country. In the North, PVCs were given to emirs in bulk and they distributed the cards to the people, irrespective of whether they were qualified to have it or not.

“We have heard that Prof. Oluyede was almost killed, for preventing underage voting in a section of the country. Where we are right now, it means INEC has to clean up the voters registration exercise. If the nation is one country, there cannot be different voting age for people in different parts of the country. If we have agreed that voting age is 18, then it must be 18 in all parts of the country. To restore confidence in the process, INEC has to clean up the voters register to ensure that only those who attained 18 make the list.

“As for those who have not registered, community leaders, traditional rulers, church leaders and pastors and Imams have to mobilise their members and people to participate in the exercise. They should have their PVC, because it will be useful one day.”

The post Is continuous registration of voters on course? appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.