IN its response to concerns that some parts of the country might have been shortchanged in the voters’ registration exercise, which ended yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has granted a 48-hour extension to some parts of the country. This is coming on the heels of divergent shades of opinion concerning yesterday’s conclusion of the exercise across the country.
However, there were strong indications that INEC might shift, by 24-hours, the date for the publication of the list of candidates submitted to it by political parties seeking to take part in the April elections. Consequently, rather than publishing the list today, the commission would do it tomorrow.
Going by the original timetable, as confirmed to reporters by the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Kayode Roberts Idowu, the list was, by the Electoral Act, supposed to be published today, February 6, 2011.
Idowu had, on Wednesday, confirmed to newsmen that the February 6 publication of the list was a matter of law.
National Commissioner in charge of Legal Services, Philip Umeadi Jnr, in a chat with The Guardian said that the publication would be done on Monday. According to him, the staff that would do the publication would have departed Abuja yesterday, because it was going to be in the entire states of the federation. But he wished that the Commission would have an ample time to do what it was supposed to do, especially if the commission could give effect to some of the avalanche of court orders.
Tagged, “Mop up” voter registration, an extended voter registration, according to a statement by the Director of Public Affairs of the commission, Mr. Emmanuel Iyorwuse Umenger, would take place in areas where the exercise could not commence early due to communal conflicts, over-population, technical or logistic challenges.
According to him, rather than the exercise ending yesterday the mop up voter registration would take place today and tomorrow.
The affected areas identified for the purpose of the mop-up exercise by the statement are: Uyo in Akwa Ibom State; Ganjuwa, Kirfi, Shira, Bogoro, and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State; some wards in Gubio, Mafa, Jere, Konduga, Kukawa, Mobbar and Monguno Local Government Areas of Borno State; Katsina Ala, Gwer East and Vandeikya LGAs of Benue State; Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South- West LGAs in Delta State; Ijero and Ekiti-East LGA of Ekiti State; Nsukka, Uzo Uwani and parts of Enugu East, Enugu North and Enugu South as well as Udi LGAs of Enugu State.
Others are, Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Sabon Tasha, Rigasa, Afaka, Kakuri, Rigachikun LGAs of Kaduna State; two registration areas each in Birnin Kebbi, Yauri, Gwandu and three others each in Danko-Wasaku and Zuru in Kebbi State; Karu, New Karu, Mararaba, Masaka, Aso Fada and Adudu ward in Obi LGA of Nasarawa State
In Zamfara State, the mop-up exercise will take place in Gusau Ward 03, Galadima 01, Dado 04, Maiyara 05, Tudun Wada 09 and Tsafe 08 wards while in Kogi State, it will take place in some areas in Bassa and Adavi LGAs.
In Ogun State, Obafemi Owode, Ifo and Ado Ode LGAs would benefit from the exercise.
The Commission lauded the enthusiasm with which eligible Nigerians turned out en-masse to be registered in readiness for the April 2011 general elections and wishes to advise all those eligible registrants who are yet to register to take advantage of the mop-up exercise and get registered.
INEC further reminded Nigerians that it was a crime to register more than once, warning that any of such attempts would be discovered and culprits prosecuted.
While most Nigerians, who appraised the concluded exercise yesterday, said it was not as successful as they expected, others were of the opinion that the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) actually gave a good account of the huge funds expended in the exercise. This comes as the electoral body gave an indication that
Thousands of Nigerians living in Lagos and Ogun states yesterday expressed displeasure over their inability to partake in the registration exercise. Most of them described the exercise as a flop, adding that the electoral umpire was ill prepared, based on the flaws that trailed the exercise since it started.
As early as 5am on Saturday, residents of Arigbajo in Ewekoro Local Government, Council of Ogun State, who were yet to register had assembled at the United District Central Primary School, Arigbajo but were not able to participate in the exercise due to problems, which the officials described as hiccups and logistic issues. Most of them left the place in annoyance to register in nearby villages with less population.
Even in Sango-Otta, the story was the same. Most residents of the boisterous city who were desperate to register traveled as far as Itori, Ishofin, Elere and Onigbedu, among other villages close to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to perform their civic responsibilities.
As at 10.30am, in one of the Abule Egba, Lagos centres, no INEC official had shown up despite the population of people already seated and waiting to partake in the exercise.
One of the would-be participants, Elder Otolorin, described the flaws and other problems encountered during the exercise as a great shame to Nigeria despite her pride of place in Africa. He noted that most of the Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machines bought were not properly working which resulted in the flaws recorded for the three.
But, in a swift reaction, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) yesterday cautioned the media over what it described as negative reports against INEC, even as it expressed ‘implicit confidence in the ability of the electoral commission to deliver the good. Leader of the party in Jigawa State, Senator Muhammed Ibrahim Krikassama, said negative reports about the exercise had impeded success much more than the technical hitches that characterised the exercise at the initial stage.
Similarly, National Vice chairman (South East), Chief George Muoghalu, while briefing newsmen in Nnewi to formally announce his intention to run for the Anambra South Senatorial seat, said he was confident that the INEC, under Prof. Attahiru Jega, would do a great job in organising an acceptable election in April.
The exercise, which began on January 15 ended on 29th January, but had to be extended as a result of national outcry that trailed the first three days of the exercise. However, visits to several parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the neighbouring Nasarawa State yesterday showed residents in last-minute rush to beat the deadline marking the end of the exercise.
The Commission had on Thursday, last claimed it had so far registered about 4.59 million Nigerians as at the January 31 deadline, saying it was targeting to register about million Nigerians.
“With barely two days to the end of the seven-day extension of the exercise, the daily average nationwide has lowered to 3.2million, as against about 4.3million per day a week earlier. It is expected that the daily average will decline even furthermore people get registered.
“Going by the present level and pace of registration, it is projected that no fewer than 62million people will be registered by the close of the registration on Saturday, February 5, 2010.” INEC had submitted on Thursday, last week.
However, there were noticeable queues in several parts of Abuja and Nasarawa State, where the registration exercise was taking place, with some prospective voters calling for further extension of the period of registration for more Nigerians to be registered.
INEC had on Friday said it had started test –running of special software programmed solely for the detection of multiple registration. This is in response to several concerns raised by Nigerians about reported cases of double and multiple voter registration by some Nigerians.
Senior officials of INEC were in attendance at the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department in INEC Headquarters on Friday when the test running took place.
It was gathered that the software works through mega-processing of huge numbers of fingerprints within microseconds.
INEC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Umenger stated that the effort is part of measures to disprove cynics’ fears and ensure a credible voter register.
“We are right now at the IT department, test running the software that will detect multiple registrations at the end of the voter registration exercise which ends tomorrow (Saturday).
“This Commission, like the chairman has always said, is committed to ensuring the production of a credible voter register which will serve as a basis for credible elections,” Umenger stated.
INEC, on Friday, announced that it has made fresh deployment of Direct Data Capture Machines (DDCMs) to ease congestion problems in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Meanwhile INEC has described the death of its former Chairman, Dr. Abel Ibude Goubadia as a great loss to the country and the political process.
Goubadia died on Friday at the age of 79. A statement by Idowu, the commission said, “INEC deeply mourns eminent statesman and its former Chairman, Sir Abel Guobadia, OFR, who passed on today, February 4, 2011, at the ripe age of 79 years.
“Sir Guobadia was Hon. Chairman of the Commission from 2000 to 2005. The Commission recalls with profound pride the exemplary service of this scholar and quintessential public servant, whose tenure at the Election Management Body marked a golden era in the Nigerian democratic experience.
“INEC affirms that the place of Sir Guobadia in history will remain indelible, considering the role he played in consolidating the then fledgling democratic dispensation. With his passage, Nigeria has lost one of its noblest public servants and human treasure.
“The Commission commiserates with the nation, and especially the family of Sir Guobadia, on this passage which is a sad but inevitable experience of life and prays God for fortitude to bear the loss.”
Source: The Guardian
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