Kid voters: INEC receives report, wants perpetrators exposed

ENIOLA AKINKUOTU with agency reports

The committee set up by the Independent National Electoral Commission to investigate the allegations of underage voting that trailed the local government elections conducted by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission has submitted its report.

The committee, according to a statement by INEC Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, in Abuja, submitted the  report to the Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Friday.

The statement, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, quoted the Chairman of the committee, Mr. Ahmed Nahuche, as saying diligent and wide consultations with stakeholders were made by the committee.

The committee was inaugurated by INEC in February to investigate the allegation of underage voting which was allegedly linked to the voter register in Kano.

Nahuche said in carrying out the assignment, the committee consulted with critical stakeholders through visitations and interactive sessions.

“The interactive sessions included civil society organisations, political parties, print and electronic media organisations as well as security agencies.

He stated, “The committee, in the course of consultation and interactive sessions, received a number of pictures, video clips, reports, documents and presentations from the stakeholders. The pictures and video clips were thoroughly analysed by the committee.’’

The INEC chairman, explained that the commission was committed to ensuring that the voter register was purged of ineligible persons.

“The credibility of the voter register is very important to the commission; (and) that the outcome of the investigation, in the interest of transparency, would be shared with the general public.”

Meanwhile,  Yakubu has called on Nigerians to help the commission to expose illegal voters who are on the register.

Yakubu said this during a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Television Authority.

The INEC boss said the commission would, between March 26 and March 30, display the list of citizens captured in the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration during  the first quarter of 2018.

The exercise, which is a requirement of the law, is intended to afford citizens, who registered between January 8 and March 23 this year, the opportunity to check their biodata for errors and make corrections.

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