Yiaga Africa has reported the registration of underaged citizens as prospective voters in Nigeria.
In its latest report on the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yiaga Africa said it observed the registration of ineligible citizens in the states of Plateau and Kano.
Nigeria’s electoral umpire resumed the CVR exercise on 28 June, 2021, with the online pre-registration process.
It is understood that the introduction of online registration created an opportunity for eligible voters to begin their registration process online and subsequently visit an INEC registration centre to complete their full biometric registration.
The Yiaga Africa report, titled Observation of the Nationwide Continuous voters Registration Process and Emerging Concerns, covered the first two weeks of the CVR process in 158 registration centres in Anambra, Lagos, Rivers, Adamawa, Kano, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 26 July, 2021, to 06 August, 2021.
The civil society organisation’s 171 Watching the Vote (WTV) observers observed the CVR exercise in the 158 registration centres, according to the report.
‘Yiaga Africa observers reported the registration of underaged citizens as prospective voters on July 29 in Langtang North LGA in Plateau State and Madobi and Kano Municipal LGAs in Kano State’, it said.
The WTV also observed challenges with the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED), absence of security personnel at registration centres and restriction of movement in the states of Anambra and Rivers.
The organisation also reported low participation of political parties in mobilising citizens for the CVR process and conflicting information as regards the pre-registration process via the INEC online portal.
Yiaga Africa said its WTV observers were not allowed to observe the CVR process in Ojo, Mushin, Ajeromi/Ifelodun, Lagos Island, Alimosho and Ibeju Lekki areas in Lagos State, and Orumba South, Anambra State, despite showing evidence of accreditation.
The organisation however commended INEC for the ‘reasonable progress’ observed in the CVR exercise in the first and second week of the physical registration process.
‘As the exercise continues, we call on INEC to ensure proper oversight over the process. Proper oversight will reasonably address the issue like the clarity on procedure for the registration of citizens who have commenced the process online and prospective voters who are accessing the process for the first time’, it noted.
‘In addition, it will ensure adequate technical support is provided to assist the officials, especially in the use of the IVED throughout the registration process.
‘The full biometric capture of registrants is a crucial part of the registration process and must be done optimally in this phase of the CVR to achieve one of the core objectives of deploying technology to register voters.
The report also urged INEC to investigate reports of underage registration and ensure that there is a proper system in place to verify the age of prospective voters who are flagged as possible underage registrants.
In addition, the organisation urged security agencies to collaborate better with INEC to ensure adequate deployment of their personnel to the voter registration centres.
Source: Yiaga Africa
Photo source: Commonwealth Secretariat