September 19, (THEWILL) – The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has faulted a report claiming that about seven million Nigerians, who applied for online pre-registration as voters during the last nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), were denied the opportunity to complete their registration, describing the report as misleading.
The rebuttal is contained in a press statement signed Monday, by Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee
THEWILL recalled that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), had in a press statement signed on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, alleged that 7 million eligible voters could not register during the recently concluded CVR exercise.
According to SERAP, 24 citizens on behalf of others have filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1662/2022 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, to challenge their disenfranchisement.
The plaintiffs are Ayoola Opeyemi Ebenezer; Eche Onah Otakpa; Olatoye Clement Damilola; Adeeyo Bayo Wasiu; Kunat Tychius Amos; Emeghe Uchanma Grace; Ogunejiofor Raphael Emeka, Tagbo Philips Chidubem.
Others are Emmanuel Promise Tochukwu; Emmanuel Ternajev, Adedotun Adegoke Babatunde, Nkemdilim Agbor Bassey, Joy Oluwadamilola Ige; Lawerence Ignatius; Agbede Kunle and Eze Daniel Ndubisi.
Others are Omoike Iredia Oseine; Ndubuisi Anthony Ahanihu; Akande Akintunde O; Adamma Rhodes, Joshua Patrick Ogenekaro; Wisdom Emeka; Ukpe Victor Destiny, and Abayomi Opeoluwa.
Reacting to the suit, Okeye said those with incomplete Voter registration processes should be blamed for not doing the needful at the right time.
To set the record straight, Okoye said, “Nigerians may recall that on 28th June 2021, the Commission introduced the online pre-registration of voters. By doing so, citizens were given the opportunity to commence the registration online and then book an appointment at their convenience to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centers. It was a novel idea leveraging technology to ease the registration process. This was in addition to the walk-in option at physical centers, where Nigerians can commence and complete their registration simultaneously without going through the online pre-registration procedure”..
The statement read: “The attention of the Commission has been drawn to media reports that some seven million Nigerians who applied for online pre-registration as voters during the last nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) were denied the opportunity to complete their registration and consequently the collection of their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs). This claim is misleading.
“To set the record straight, Nigerians may recall that on 28th June 2021, the Commission introduced the online pre-registration of voters.
“By doing so, citizens were given the opportunity to commence the registration online and then book for an appointment at their convenience to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centres.
“It was a novel idea leveraging on technology to ease the registration process.
“This was in addition to the walk-in option at physical centres, where Nigerians can commence and complete thier registration simultaneously without going through the online pre-registration procedure.
“In the interest of transparency, the Commission provided weekly statistical updates on the exercise.
“For the online pre-registration, a total 10,487,972 commenced the process. However, by the deadline of the exercise, 3,444,378 Nigerians completed their pre-registration physically at the designated centres in line with the Commission’s policy.
“Some 7,043,594 applicants did not complete the registration. Again, the Commission made the information public.
“This is what some people are now using to say that they were denied the opportunity when in reality they failed to either complete the online enrolment or appear physically at the designated centres to complete the process.
“A breakdown of the 7,043,594 incomplete online pre-registrations is as follows:
1. 4,161,775 citizens attempted but either did not complete online pre-registration or abandoned it and went for the physical registration instead.
2. 2,881,819 registrants completed the online pre-registration but did not show up to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centres before the deadline.
“Therefore, it is clear that no Nigerians were deliberately denied the opportunity to complete their online pre-registration.
“We appeal citizens to always adhere to timelines as against the endless agitation for eleventh hour extension of set deadlines.”
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