INEC is not a security agency but we have an inter-agency advisory commission that comprises all the security agencies in Nigeria ranging from the Nigerian police to the Fire Service and as such to emphasis on security strategies is to render one insecure.
These were the words of Dr Ishmael Igbani at the National Youth Conference On Roadmap to 2015 Elections during the panel discussion on preparation, challenges and prospects in Abuja.
Several questions asked during the discussion ranges from INEC not having an election specific security strategic plan, the implementation of the INEC civic voter registration education, modalities on ground for citizens whose location has changed since the last registration process.
National Commissioner INEC, Dr Nuru Yakubu remarked that there is an elaborate process for voters whose location has changed which involves them writing to the INEC office closest to your location giving them details of your change of location and they will have your information transferred.
On the strategic security plan of INEC, that has been handed over to the very competent security agencies as Dr Igbani earlier said but he went on to assure participants that security of lives and property is most paramount on their list as will be shown in coming elections.
In response to Dr Igbani, Sampson Itodo, YIAGA/YACORE, expressed displeasure over his remarks. He says Igbani trivialised the issues presented at the conference which shows a lack of preparation on INEC’s part for the forthcoming elections.
During the second panel discussion tagged “Voters Register, Permanent Voters Card and Continuous Voters Registration”, several issues were raised which could have been clarified better by INEC officials but unfortunately they had left however Mr Sampson Itodo shed some light on INEC’s stance on some of these issues.
He called the participants attention to Prof. Attahiru Jega’s interview with Nigerian info where Jega stated that a short code will be launched soon that will interface with INEC’s database on which voters can confirm their registration status.
A participant proposed a public holiday be created to flag off continuos voter registration as the time set aside for registration of voters will render a large group of voters ineligible.
Cynthia Mbamalu one of the panelists during this discussion stated that the system for voters registration is flawed but youths have helped the flaw go unaddressed with their indifference to matters such as these.
Dr Abubakar Umar Kari stated that unless the voter register is addressed, 2015 Elections will be a mirage, stating the examples of Ondo state where 160000 names were injected into the voters register while voters were disenfranchised in Anambra state.
By: Remi Serrano
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