The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it’s banking on Nigerians to assist in identifying underaged and double-registered voters from the recently published national electoral register. 

Speaking on a Channels TV programme on Monday, Festus Okoye, INEC’s commissioner for information and voter education, admitted as inexcusable errors the several underage voters and double registration in the commission’s register, adding that the electoral body was relying on the help of Nigerians to weed out the errors. 

“We agree that the register is not perfect, which is why we have these displayed for claims and objections. The lawmakers believe that the Commission can clean up the voters’ register to an extent, and we used our automated biometric identification system to remove multiple and double registrants, and then we also did what we call manual adjudication to remove obviously underaged persons.

“Obviously, there are under-age persons on the voters’ register, and we expect Nigerians to take a look at it – both the ones we displayed at the various registration centres and local government and also the one on the website – and assist the Commission to point out these things so that the Commission can further clean up the register,” Mr Okoye said. 

Mr Okoye further stated that the register was published in order for public examination, asking Nigerians to point out errors and allow the commission ‘do the needful’.

“So, all these things people are pointing out is the essence of the display and we want to encourage Nigerians to take a critical look at the register, point out some of these persons who are not eligible to be on it and we would definitely do the needful,” he added. 

In accordance with sections 19(1) and (2) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), INEC announced its national publication of voter lists, displaying hard copies of each Registration Area (Ward) and Local Government Areas voter list for two weeks for public inspection, claims, and objections by citizens no later than 90 days before a general election. The complete list is also expected to be published simultaneously on the Commission’s website.