Anxiety and fear have gripped fresh registered voters in Nigeria as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced it has delisted fresh registrants as part of efforts to clean up its register.
INEC announced this in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Commitee, Festus Okoye Esq. on Monday, September 12, 2022 in Abuja.
According to the statement, INEC said, out of the 2. 523458 (Two milion, five hundred and twenty-three thousand, four hundred and fifty-eight) fresh registrants that registered between 28th June, 2021 and 14th January, 2022. 1,126,359 (One Million, one hundred and twenty six tousand, three hundred and fifty-nine) records were found to be invalid and consequently delisted.
The statement read: “as Nigerians are aware, the cleaning up of the register of voters using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) is ongoing since the suspension of the Connmions Voter Registration (CVR) on 3st July 2022
Earlier, the Cormmission informed Nigerians that out of the 2. 523458 (Two milion, five hundred and twenty-three thousand, four hundred and fifty-eight) fresh registrants that registered between 28th June, 2021 and 14th January, 2022. 1,126,359 (One milbon, one Inndred and twenty six tousand, three hundred and ‘ifty-nine) records were found « be snvalid anit consequently delisted,
‘The ABIS for the period 15th January to 31st July 2022 is almost completed Several double, multiple and ineligible regstrants have also been detected and invalidated. These include entries (that fail to meet the Commissions business rules. The Commission takes due responsibility seriously because a credible register is at the heart of electoral integrity.
ABIS soon as the process is concluded, the Commission will provide the public with full (information as usual. Thereafter, valid registrants will be added to the existing national register of voters before publishing same nationwide (or scrunty, aims and objections by citizens as required by section 19 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
‘We reassure Nigerians that a thorough process is being undertaken to clean up the registration data, Similarly Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for all valid registrants will be available for collection by the end of October and early November as promised.
