The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish voter lists in wards and on its website seven days before polls, as required by the 2022 Electoral Act.
The voter register “must be posted or published for public scrutiny at every registration place and on its official website or any website established by the commission for that purpose,” according to Section 19 (1) of the law.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, Situation Room convener Ene Obi stated that the manner in which the electoral authority has posted voter record for public examination does not completely correspond to the Act.
According to Obi, INEC has exhibited voter rolls at its local government area offices across the country for seven days, from August 15 to August 21, 2022, for residents to file claims and complaints.
She stated that the exercise “is a vital aspect of the election process that promotes voter register credibility because citizens are able to raise objections with respect to the name of a person included on the register, who is not qualified to be registered as a voter in that area, who is deceased, or whose name has been omitted.”
To ensure a smooth procedure, Obi noted that the commission, in keeping with its present attitude on the use of technology in elections, would digitise the exercise as required by the new law.
