The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega has promised to eradicate multiple voters’ registration before the 2015 general election.
Mr Jega made the pledge at a meeting to review the 2011/2012 general elections as he also presented the commission’s five-year Strategic Plan for 2012-2016.
He revealed that the commission has commenced a consolidated data check which will automatically detect and delete multiple registrations and in the long run clean up the voters register.
The voters register has for long been a subject of controversy with many critics saying the register is an inadequate document filled with flaws and does not reflect the true state of elections held in Nigeria.
A huge percentage of registered voters could not find their names in the voters register that was used to conduct the 2011 general election, thereby disenfranchising a number of voters. A similar difficulty was also witnessed during the series of governorship elections that has held across the country.
The electoral boss stated that the commission will soon commence a continuous registration programme next year (2013) to ensure proper registration of eligible voters before the election year.
Registering new parties
While answering questions from journalists on the recent de-listing of 28 political parties, Mr Jega declared that any new association that meets the commission’s requirements will be registered as a political party.
“We have taken the decision to de-register 28 parties and as far as we are concerned, we have acted legally. Of course, many political party chieftains especially of those de-registered were not happy and we understand that and some of them have gone to court.”
He stressed that the commission awaits whatever judgment that will be rendered by the courts but that it believes the constitution and the Electoral Act has armed the commission with the responsibility to register and deregister any political party that falls short of meeting the requirement of the law.
Use of ad-hoc staff
The INEC has also defended the use of adhoc staff in future elections, saying it is a worldwide phenomenon as no electoral body across the world can conduct elections with only staff on its pay roll.
“We have to use ad hoc staff” he affirmed adding that “the conventional method is to advertise and go through the normal process. The conventional practice in most countries is to advertise, short list, interview and employ.
“In most countries that is what happens, but in Nigeria if you do that, you will have additional problems, particularly in the electoral process” he said.
Mr Jega however warned that politicians could take advantage of the advertisement process.
“You have to think about the creativity of our politicians who try to stay one step ahead of you. Before you realise it, they will sponsor people that will participate, get screened, get appointed and will now be the ones to manage your elections,’’ he said.
According to him, for every general election, no fewer than 360,000 polling workers were required but that the entire workforce in INEC was 14,000.
He further explained that the commission was targeting a maximum of 16,000 workers as permanent employees.
