Voters’ registration: Complaints galore in states

On Tuesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concluded the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. As it is common with every electoral process in the country, the exercise was characterised by a deluge of complaints in all the affected states. Over the years, elections in Nigeria have been marred by irregularities, with many, usually accusing the electoral body of inefficiency. There are those who argue that such irregularities start from the process of registration of voters. Therefore, voters’ registration is crucial for political participation in every democratic process. Constitutionally, the INEC is mandated by law, in Section 9(1) of the Electoral Act 2010, to keep the voters register updated through the continuous registration, a process whereby the voters’ list is continually maintained by adding names of eligible voters as well as deleting names of those who no longer meet eligibility requirements. Among others, it would enable citizens register at any time, other than the election period, especially for those who had not attained the voting age during the biometric voters’ registration exercise. It is in fulfillment of its constitutional requirement that the INEC organised the registration exercise, which ended on Tuesday. Many argue that what happened during the exercise is a sign of what to expect in 2015. From one state to the other, the complaints are almost the same. Bayelsa State In Bayelsa, the people called for an extension due to the initial hiccups, which delayed the take-off of the exercise in some parts of the state. In some places where the exercise was monitored, prospective voters suggested that it should be extended to allow for more people to register. At the Amarata School field, Yenagoa Ward 1, people queue waiting to be registered, with only one official of the INEC operating the machine. Though many people expressed satisfaction with the exercise, they suggested that INEC could make it faster to allow for more people to register. In Opolo community, the exercise was also smooth, but the turnout was poor, forcing the community leaders to partially close the popular Opolo market to enable traders participate in the exercise. In Agudama-Epketiama community, also in Yenagoa Local Government Area, the exercise was peaceful but the people complained that the process was too slow, as only one machine was deployed. According to Mr. Ogiriki, the people were happy that the exercise was smooth but were not comfortable with the deployment of just one machine, as it slowed down the process. In Ogbia, President Goodluck Jonathan’s local government area, the exercise went on smoothly after the initial delay of INEC officials not arriving on time. In Nembe, the story was the same, as the exercise did not commence until two days after it took off in other places due to faulty machines and late arrival of INEC officials. But many people who could not register in the first two days had been registered at the time of filing this report. The situation in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area is worrisome, as most of the people complained that they were not aware of the exercise. Comrade ThankGod, from Enewari community, said nothing was happening in most communities in Southern Ijaw. “We have not seen any machine or INEC officials to conduct the voters registration exercise here,” he said. In some communities that had machines, there were problems of operation and they were forced to return the machines. Nasarawa state In Nasarawa, the exercise did not hold. The state resident electoral commissioner, Alhaji Ahmed Makama, who stated this in a chat in Lafia, revealed that the voters’ registration was being conducted in batches and that the state would take its turn next month. He expressed readiness of the commission in ensuring free, fair and credible elections in next year and therefore, called on the people of Nasarawa State to take advantage of the exercise when it commences, to enable them vote during the exercise. Makama called on Nigerians to cooperate with INEC to enable it perform its responsibilities without fear or favour. Benue state In Benue, many of the residents who recently attained the age of 18 besieged various registration centers to partake in the exercise. Daily Sun discovered on Saturday that apart from this group of people, others, who either lost their temporary voters’ card or moved from one part of the country to another were also presenting themselves for fresh registration. Our Correspondent, who went round some polling units in Makurdi metropolis, including Bush Bar and Adeke polling units, discovered large turnout of registrants while the INEC officers were also seen doing their work without much problem. However, the Madikpo and Government House polling units did not open for members of the public to register, as neither the INEC ad-hoc staff nor the supervising officers were found in those areas. Some of those who spoke to our correspondent at Madikpo, including Yunisa Alli and Medinat Yakubu, said they actually came out to register but were surprised to find the polling units empty. Alli, who disclosed that he registered in 2011 in Bauchi State, said he preferred to go through a fresh registration instead of going through the Herculean task of doing a transfer. At the Adeke Polling Unit, though many residents visited the area with the intention of registering, they could not as they were told that the registration going on in the area was for people from the Adem polling unit, where Fulani herdsmen recently invaded. Eligible members of Adeke community were advised to wait until Monday when it would be their turn to register. Besides, Daily Sun also observed some problems with the machines in some polling units, which were later rectified, even as the state INEC Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ochai Louis, said they were able to overcome the challenge with the help of technicians brought in from Abuja. “Initial challenges with machines have been overcome. Technicians were brought in from Abuja and they have been moving from one polling unit to another to rectify faults. We also got new batteries from the store. So far, the machines have been working well and the exercise has been largely hitch free,” he stated. Plateau state In Plateau State, it is a different ball game, as the exercise will be coming up in August. The Assistant Director, Public Affairs of the INEC in Plateau State, Mr. Osaretin Imahierebo, said this is because Plateau, among the states in the third batch, would have their registration around that period. He said presently, some INEC workers from the state were undergoing training in preparation for the exercise, which will ensure that voters get their permanent cards. Enugu state The registration of voters, which started on May 28 in Enugu State, failed to live up to expectations. The exercise was marred by insufficient registration materials, which affected the pace of the exercise and the number of voters registered in a day. For instance, on the first day of the exercise, at the Okpara Square centre, where 15 polling units were merged because of registration materials, only 35 voters, out of about 1, 000 that turned up, were registered. The exercise became an issue in the state after over 40 per cent of voters in Enugu were reportedly de-registered for unknown reasons. While the government was making a case for an extension of time, it also mobilised the citizenry and even closed markets, schools and banks to ensure that people complied with the exercise. The result was a massive turnout, which made it difficult for the ill-prepared INEC ad-hoc staff to handle. And like one of the INEC officials noted, “even if one week is added, it won’t be enough to register the voters.” Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. USA Igwesi, was visibly angry over the situation in Enugu, stating: “If INEC continues this way, we may have problems because even the equipment, the machines they supplied, are fake. Even the INEC people who are supposed to man these machines are inexperienced. They were not tutored on how to use these machines; there was no capacity building or training for them. It is even the people who come to register that assist them in fixing these machines. So it is incredible; it is unbelievable. “Some of these machines are not working and there is shortage of materials. You will come there, one person will spend an average of 20 to 30 minutes in registering, at the end of the day, the name and the picture of the person will not appear. So, I am perplexed in what is going on. And if they continue in this way, they will disenfranchise almost 90 per cent of Enugu voters. “There should be an extension if they want people to come out and vote because they are the people causing all these things. People are ready to register because they know that is the only weapon they have. But INEC is not ready because the machines are faulty, fake; the managers of the machines are inexperienced. And they waste a lot of time in registering people. Before they capture one person, it takes an average of 30 minutes. And at-times, you will find INEC officials running around saying, this machine is bad and so on; if they are not ready, why did they come out.” By Tuesday, many prospective voters were still on queue at many centres in Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani, Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South council areas, leading to outcry for extension of the exercise by the people, which was eventually granted. The member representing Nsukka East in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Chinedu Nwamba, had earlier raised the alarm that the registration machines meant for other states were supplied to his constituency. He, therefore, called on INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, to correct the anomaly, as well as extend the date for the registration exercise. Mamba, who spoke to newsmen shortly after monitoring the registration exercise in his constituency in Nsukka, expressed worry that this may be another plot by INEC to disenfranchise his people during the 2015 general elections. He stated: “During my course of monitoring the registration exercise, I discovered that INEC is using registration machines meant for Anambra and Ebonyi states to register people in Nsukka, Enugu State. We are raising this alarm to let Nigerians know and also let INEC chairman, Prof Jega know of the irregularities that are happening in Enugu state.” The lawmaker accused INEC of being used by some political heavyweights in the state to deny his people from performing their civic rights. he said: “Nsukka zone has about 61 per cent of total votes of the entire Enugu State and from INEC statistics, the zone is missing in about 405 polling booths from their records. We are in a very big mess, already our people are feeling that INEC is working with some enemies of the zone to frustrate.” In the same vein, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Enugu State, Dr. Lawrence Azubuike of compromising his official position by denying the people of Enugu North their voting rights. The Secretary General of CNPP, Chief Willy Ezugwu, made the accusation after he registered in his Opi ward, insisting that Azubuike must be investigated based on all the allegations levelled against him. He stated: “Every strategy to disenfranchise our zone is being carried out by the REC and his collaborators knowing full well that the zone will likely produce the next governor of the state in 2015. “INEC cannot deny us the right to vote or produce the next governor for the state. INEC is simply putting 2015 election in danger because we will resist every of their plans to succeed.” Oyo state Oyo State office of INEC has disclosed that permanent voters exercise would begin in the state between July 17- and July 28 while the distribution would take place in all polling units where voters registered in 2011. Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Ayodele Folami, who spoke to Daily Sun on telephone on behalf of the State Resident Electoral Commissioner also disclosed that an inter-agency committee has been set up on voters’ registration. The committee, according to him, has the responsibility to go out for publicity, to let the people of the state know what is going on about the registration. Folami also said those who are not opportune for one reason or the other to collect their voter’s card during the exercise would have the opportunity to collect it in all the local government areas. This, according to him, would hold from July 23-27. He explained that those who have their names on the register would also collect their cards during the exercise, adding that those who recently turned 18 years would have the opportunity to register during the exercise. Abia state In Abia, faulty machines and inefficient manpower marred the exercise. People who had gone to designated centres spent days without being registered, owing to faulty machines and late arrival of the officials in some centres, among others. A female teacher who gave her name simply as Nkechi said due to the public holidays given by the state government for the exercise, she left her house as early as 7.30am last Friday and wasted the whole time without being registered. According to her, “I got to one of INEC voter registration centres in the Ogbor Hill area by 7.30am last Friday, but I did not see any of the officials till about 12noon. When they came, they started with the people they gave numbers the previous day, which was more than 100. Because the only machine they were using at the centre was faulty, the officials who were having problem using it could not finish with the people who took numbers the previous day. At the end, we were not registered.” Speaking with Daily Sun after visiting some of the centres in his Obingwa Local Government and Aba South, a former Chairman of the council, Chief Kelechi Nwankpa, said it was disheartening that people could turn out in their numbers to register but denied the opportunity due to faulty machines and other logistics. A chieftain of the Progressive Peoples’ Alliance (PPA), Chief Obete Obete, decried the inability of INEC to register people who had trooped out for the exercise due to inadequate and faulty machines. while bemoaning the inability of the officers posted for the exercise to effectively handle the machines, he said if INEC failed to extend the period of the exercise, more than half of the electorate in the area would be disenfranchised in next year’s election. When Daily Sun visited some of the centres in Aba on Sunday, there were long queues of people waiting to be registered and there was only one machine working in each centre, which appeared to have been stretched to their limits. Those manning the machines, who were mostly corps members, refused to speak, saying they were not allowed to talk to the press. However, some areas in the state did participate due none deployment of materials and officials. In Igbere, in Bende Local Government Area, INEC was yet to deploy voters registration materials at the time of filling this report. The areas affected are Umusi, Ohumola and Okafia, among others