The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, declares that the commission will continue to purge the voter’s list to prevent minors and ineligible voters from casting ballots.
At a Friday interactive session with journalists in Lagos, Yakubu revealed this.
“We are making efforts to make sure we eradicate underage voting and also ineligible voting.
“That is why we threw the register open to all Nigerians who I think own it. The register is pasted at all the polling units and wards in all the 774 local government areas of Nigeria for clarity and objections by Nigerians.
“We are now harvesting the claims and objections by Nigerians to work on them and make sure that we continually clean up the register.
“I am assuring you that we will continue this exercise because INEC register is a national asset that Nigerians should be proud of,” he said.
On possibility of conducting elections in violence prone areas, Yakubu said INEC was working with security agencies on that.
“Our responsibility is clearly cut out and that is to conduct the coming elections in all parts of the country. Security agencies provide security.
“Presently, we are working with security agencies to conduct the 2023 elections.
We are determined and committed, and with the support of everybody, not only the security agencies, we will conduct credible elections in all parts of the country in 2023 and subsequently.
“For example, who believed that we will have a credible election in Anambra in 2021? But we did because there was collaboration between INEC and the security agencies to make sure we had free and fair governorship poll there.”
However, the chairman of INEC reaffirmed that the organisation was making efforts to guarantee that all eligible voters participated in the elections.
“Those whose Permanent Voters’ Cards are burnt will vote if they apply for a new card. We will reprint those cards and the owners can vote.
“This also covers those who have lost their PVCs.”
Yakubu stated that the commission was extremely concerned about electoral violence, including targeted attacks that resulted in the damage of its buildings, offices, and materials, and that this was not a good sign for the elections in 2023.
Yakubu urged the National Assembly to see to it that the planned Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal were established since it was crucial that electoral criminals receive fair punishment.
He begged journalists to help fight disinformation, fake news, and misinformation.
Directors and National Commissioners of INEC were in attendance.
