By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA — The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, yesterday, expressed concern over the ability of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, to compile a credible voters register for the impending general elections, just as it equally expressed displeasure over the lapses so far identified with the operations of the Direct Data Capturing, DDC, machines employed for the ongoing voters registration exercise across the nation.

The NBA insisted that its investigations disclosed that some dubious political elements in the country have hijacked the process to actualise their subterranean plan to rig results of the forthcoming general elections.

The NBA maintained that it would on Friday, January  21, release a comprehensive report on the outcome of a holistic investigation it has conducted across the federation.

The NBA national chairman, Chief J. B. Daudu, SAN, who made this disclosure during an inauguration ceremony for the newly elected executives of the Abuja Chapter of the association, Unity Bar, however, enjoined Nigerians to defend the “one man one vote” agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

“It is unfortunate that some people are busy manipulating the ongoing voters registration exercise in order to rigg the forthcoming general elections. By Friday, the NBA is going to give a half-time review of the entire exercise and the report of our monitoring team.

We sincerely wish that the government will listen to us because the thrust of election is to ensure that some persons are not allowed to steal the people’s mandate,” he added.

In the same vein, the newly inaugurated chairman of the Unity Bar, Mazi Afam Josiah Osigwe, tasked INEC to pay urgent attention to the lapses so far identified with the DDC machines.

“to get the April general elections right and lay the foundation for credible elections in Nigeria, urgent attention must be given to the lapses so far identified by the voters registration monitoring groups to which the Unity Bar is a participant.

“According to the findings of our observers which have been corroborated by others, the voters’ registration exercise has been largely marred by problems ranging from the failure of the finger print scanners in some centers as well as the slow pace of the scanners where

it works. The inadequacy of the machines, officials not being conversant with the scanners, the non_availability of after sales services by the suppliers of the DDC machines as well as a myriad of other problems.

“We are worried not only for what these portend for the next general elections but their great implications for our nation.
“The problems being experienced with the voter registration exercise are a sad commentary on our national life. It is a clear evidence of lack of planning, failure to build institutions as well as lack of attention to merit.

“One wonders whether the right calibers of persons were selected to supply this equipment or whether adequate though was given to the quality of equipment ordered and or supplied.

“One is therefore not surprised that many days after these problems came to light, no serious effort has been made to correct them.
“This is one exercise that must succeed. So much money and time had gone into its planning and execution. The best consolation we can give millions of school children who were forced to sacrifice their school time for the sake of the exercise is its success.

“There are already strident calls for the exercise to be extended. Section 9(5) of the Electoral Act, 2010, mandates the INEC to carry out the registration of voters, updating and revision of the register of voters not latter than 60 days before any election covered by the Act.

“This means that voters’ registration and everything connected with the voters register must end in the month of February, 2011, and the commission must certify the register by March” read the speech.