No fewer than four million multiple registrations have been detected and deleted from the voters’ register, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, disclosed at the weekend.
According to him, all the people involved in multiple registrations ought to be prosecuted but regretted that the Commission lack capacity to do so, saying that only 200 persons have been prosecuted since 2011 general elections.
Jega said “we have cleaned up the register, “noting that the use of the academia added “tremendous integrity to the electoral process,” adding that other professionals would be considered in future.
As part of measures to ensure that the electoral process is not compromised in 2015 general elections, the INEC boss said the ballot papers will be coded and numbered per Local Government Areas.
He added that the result sheets are also being customized and coded in a manner that it becomes difficult to be changed or manipulated by political parties.
While expressing optimism that that the 2015 general elections will be better, Jega, also spoke about the challenges confronting the Commission in the discharge of its constitutional duties.
He said the challenge of security which cut across the country- militancy; kidnapping and insurgency remain major concern for the Commission.
On the insurgency in the three frontline states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, Jega said the Commission would continue to prepare to conduct elections in those states, hoping the security situation would improve before then.
The INEC chairman urged politicians to desist from harming the youths ahead of 2015 elections to ensure a hitch free poll.
“We have in this country few honest and sincere politicians because they don’t respect the rules and lack civility.
“We believe logistical and operationally we are much more ready to do better than 2011.
“We hope to lift the bar much better than we lifted it in 2011.
“We in INEC are doing our best. We have been doing our best and we continue to do our best,” Jega said.
