INEC reacts to allegation of including foreigners in voters register

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has debunked claims that it inserted foreigners into voters register.

The commission was reacting to allegations by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) that INEC included foreigners in the voters register.

“The names were sourced from both within and outside Nigeria including some African countries such as Ghana, Cameroon, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Togo, Guinea, Gambia, and countries outside Africa, including Jamaica, Brazil and New Zealand,” the coalition reportedly said.

“Significant among the discoveries in the register is the fact that majority of the foreign names were all born in 1983, despite whether their photographs showed they were old or young.”

In a statement on Thursday by Festus Okoye, INEC commissioner for voter education, the electoral body said new registrants have not been included in the national register.

INEC said it recognises and respects the right of citizens, either as individuals and groups, to demand accountability.

“However, it is always important that caution is exercised so that such interventions do not unwittingly sow doubts in the public mind, thereby diminishing public confidence and trust in the electoral process,” the statement reads.

“Nigerians would recall that on 31st July, 2022, the Commission suspended the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to commence supplemental activities that will culminate in the integration of new registrants into the final Register of Voters for the 2023 General Election.

“It is important to reiterate that no new registrant has yet been added to the Register of Voters for the 2023 General Election or will be included until these supplemental activities have been completed in line with the law.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we restate the main components of these activities. First, the Commission is conducting a comprehensive Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup of the registration data by scrutinising every record.

“Based on the Electoral Act 2022, any record that does not meet all the criteria for inclusion as stipulated in Section 10, including the appearance in person by the registrant at the registration venue with proof of identity, age and nationality and our business rules requirements of adequate number of fingerprints and clear pictures, will be invalidated.

“Further, in line with Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, after the ABIS and cleanup, the Commission shall appoint a period of seven days during which the register will be published for scrutiny by the public for objections and complaints.

“Finally, it is only after the cleanup and claims and objections have been completed that the final register will be published.”