The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the methodology for display of the Voters’ register for claims and objections by Nigerians. According to a statement signed by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye the Commission gave the approval at its weekly meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.
As earlier announced by INEC, the entire preliminary register containing 93,522,272 registrants will be published for 2 weeks, from 12th -25th November 2022. The physical copies of the register will be displayed in all the 8,809 Wards and 774 Local Government Areas on polling unit basis nationwide. INEC maintains that for the first time, the soft copy of the entire register will also be published on its website.
The register will give the name, picture, date of birth and Voter Identification Number (VIN) of each registered voter. However, for data protection and security reasons, critical information such as biometric details, residential addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of voters will not be made public on both the physical and soft copies. The electoral body appeals to Nigerians to seize the opportunity to scrutinize the register and draw it’s attention to any corrections in their personal particulars and any malicious registrations, multiple registrants, non-Nigerians or any other person not qualified to be on the register.
INEC discloses that it has so far weeded ineligible registrants using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS,) and calls for the collaboration of Nigerians in efforts to further clean up the register of voters. The Commission however says detailed clarification on the processes and procedures for the exercise, including relevant forms will be obtainable from officials at the points of display at Wards and Local Government Areas.
