By EMEKA MAMAH

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), said the slow pace of the ongoing voter registration by INEC would make it impossible for all eligible voters from across the country to be registered.

The development, according to NBA, would disfranchise several millions of Nigerians and may question the validity of the outcome of the forthcoming general elections.

At a briefing in Kaduna, yesterday, NBA President, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), noted that the exercise had been plagued by many problems since it started.

“The effect of the lapses is the possibility that millions of Nigerians who are eligible to vote during the elections would be disenfranchised,” Daudu said even as he advised INEC to take manual details of prospective voters and close the exercise by January 29 after which an additional one week could be used to capture the finger impression and photographs of those whose data were recorded manually.

“This is the only remedy to ensure that all Nigerians who present themselves for the registration are registered. There have been complaints ranging from the inability of INEC personnel to operate the DDC machines, malfunctioning machines, slow pace of the entire exercise and the uncoordinated location of the machines.

“INEC has just ruled that any registration that is not accompanied by the taking of finger impressions is void. It was thought that  jettisoning the requirement for finger impression will hasten the entire process by increasing the number of persons that can be captured by the machine daily.

“The issue now is how all the eligible voters can be captured and registered, having regard to the foregone scenario. Will INEC sacrifice the constitutional and indeed, civic rights of all Nigerians to vote at a general election on the altar of security and sanctity of the exercise?

“It, therefore, behooves on INEC to begin to work on a fall- back situation of a hybrid measure, that is, take manual details of all prospective voters and close that exercise by Saturday, January 29 and use additional week to capture the finger impression and photographs of those persons whose details have been recorded within the two-week period.

“Anyone who is unable to present himself or herself for the data capture within that period will have such initial registration nullified and accordingly deleted.

“The Bar believes that we are at a point in history that we cannot afford to squander this unique opportunity that we have in enhancing our democracy.

“We appeal to all and sundry to suppress their personal inclinations and work together for the collective good. Please, say no to any act or conduct that will bring about a total failure of democracy in Nigeria,” Daudu said.