By Emeka Umeagbalasi

Section 10(6) mandates the Commission to include and incorporate the Supplementary Voters List (derived from continuous voters’ registration exercises) in the National Register of Voters and certify same after resolving complaints and objections raised by registered voters within the stipulated time for its use in general elections. Section 13 (1) (2) (3) provides for right of a registered voter to transfer his or her voter’s card to his or her new abode.

By Section 13 (4), it is the duty of the electoral officer working in the area where a registered voter is seeking for the transfer of his or her voter’s card to add him or her in the Transferred Voters’ List and transmit a copy of the entry to the electoral officer in the registrant’s previous polling area for the purpose of deleting his or her old data.

Further, INEC’s power to print and issue voters’ cards is contained in Section 16 (1) and Section 16 (2) forbids the Commission from issuing more than one voter’s card to a registered voter. INEC is empowered by Section 16 (4) to replace any or all voters’ cards for the time being held by voter(s). Right of a voter to apply in person to the Electoral Officer 30 days before the polling day for replacement of his or her lost voter’s card is contained in Section 18.

By Section 19, INEC is mandated to display voters’ register for public scrutiny in each of the 774 LGAs in Nigeria.

This should be done between five and fourteen days. By Section 20 of the 2010 Electoral Act, INEC is mandated to integrate Supplementary Voters’ List with the National Register of Voters and cause same to be published not later than 30 days before the general elections.

By Section 21, INEC is mandated to appoint Revision Officers for handling complaints and objections that may arise from registered voters and by Sections 23 and 24, penalties including jail terms with fines are provided against those that possess voters’ cards unlawfully and those that threaten eligible registrants to refrain from registering as voters.

Further Information: In the Presidential Election of 2011 held on April 16, 2011, according to the Nigerian Elections Coalition, out of total registered voters of 73, 528, 040 in the country, only 38, 199, 219 voted. In Lagos State, which has the highest number of registered voters in the country till date; out of total registered voters of 6, 108, 069, only 1, 945, 044 voted in the 2011 presidential election. In other words, 4, 163, 025 registered voters stayed away.

Geopolitically, out of 19, 803, 699 registered voters in Northwest with seven States, only 10, 585, 017 voted. In Southwest with six States, out of 14, 296, 163 registered voters, only 4,613,712 voted.

In Northeast (now ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency), which has six states; out of 10, 749,059 registered voters, only 5, 826, 645 voted. In the North-central zone with six States, out of 10, 584, 017 registered voters, only 5,149, 057 voted. In South-south zone with six States, out of 9, 474,404 registered voters, 6, 339,216 voted; and in Southeast zone with five States, out of 7, 577, 212 registered voters, 5, 082, 321 voted. In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), out of total registered voters of 943, 474, only 398, 094 voted.

Presidential election

In all, out of total registered voters of 41, 136, 775 in the 19 northern States, only 21, 765, 797 voted in the presidential election of 2011. In the 17 southern States, out of total registered voters of 31, 347, 779; only 16, 034.581 voted. And in the FCT, out of total registered voters of 943, 474, only 398, 094 voted. From the above, the total registered voting population for 2011 general polls was 73, 427, 028 (post AFIS (figure)-automated finger-print identification software) as against 70, 383, 427 (post AFIS figure), which INEC claims to be the country’s total registered voters till date.

They also show that out of 73, 427, 028 registered voters in 2011; only 38, 198, 472 voted in the presidential election held on 16th April 2011.

Further, according to INEC’s official information, dated 10th September 2014, which was communicated to the leadership of Intersociety, the existing total registered voters in the country remains “70, 383, 427”, while the total number of existing polling units (PUs) for the country is “119,973” ( real figure is 120, 596). The geopolitical zonal breakdown of the two figures is as follows: Northwest-Polling Units (PUs) 29, 552, Registered Voters 18, 616, 499; North-central-PUs 15, 042, Registered Voters 10, 572, 968;

To be continued