2023: House Urges INEC to Extend Voter Registration

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the timeframe for voter registration due to the low turnout, saying that no voting centre should be closed down regardless of low or absence of voters.

The House also urged the commission to immediately deploy physical enumerators to conduct registrations in all federal constituencies of the country to ensure that citizens who don’t have access to internet can register.

The lawmakers mandated the electoral body to give its Committee on Electoral Matters the figures so far captured on monthly basis, as well as ensure that voting centres are provided with adequate security.

The resolutions followed the unanimous adoption of a motion ‘On the need for INEC to urgently deploy physical enumerators and other assistance to conduct new voter registration across all federal constituencies,’ sponsored by Hon. Makki Yalleman at the plenary Thursday.

Moving the motion, Yalleman noted that INEC was established to, among other things, organize elections in Nigeria, as well as put all necessary processes in place for the successful conduct of elections in Nigeria.

He also noted that INEC, in carrying out one of its constitutional duties, has put in place the machinery for the virtual Continuous Voters Registration (CVR), which has been ongoing.

He expressed concerns that so many federal constituencies have been placed at disadvantaged position due to the non-availability of registration centres and officials, inadequate power supply, insufficient operational tools and equipment, as well as inadequate enlightenment programme, the effect of which are the low figure recorded within the constituencies.

He also expressed concerns that if the voter registration exercise is concluded without addressing the above-mentioned challenges, thousands of potential voters in Nigeria will be disenfranchised during the forthcoming elections.

He opined that given the current realities in constituencies, INEC may need to engage in both physical and virtual processes by introducing physical enumerators to make up for the lapses in the online registration exercise.

Contributing in support, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) lamented that most of his constituencies do not have access to telephone or internet.

“I represent a constituency that not less than 10 per cent have access to telephone or internet. They don’t have access to what INEC is using now to do continuous voters registration. Unless there are physical enumerators like it was done in the past, INEC is advised to ensure that they employ ad hoc staff to go the four angles of Nigeria and ensure that they have captured citizens of the country who are eligible to participate in the forthcoming elections.”

Also in support, Hon. Aniekan Umanah (PDP, Akwaibom) said: “It’s important that INEC in most constituencies and units today, INEC lack materials to effect the registration. Sometimes you get to a local government and they have just two laptops. People wait everyday and nothing happens.”

On his part, Hon. Ben Igbakpa (PDP, Delta) advised INEC to decentralize the registration so that everybody, in every nook and cranny of the country can participate.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Electoral Matters to ensure compliance.