2023: INEC to Display Register, Committed to openness

The Independent National Electoral Commission announced on Thursday that it would address all concerns raised about national voter registration before the elections in 2023.

For the first time in the nation’s electoral history, INEC  made the whole register accessible on its internet.

INEC stated that it was committed to cleaning up the record and punishing those found guilty of tampering with its integrity in a statement signed by National Commissioner Festus Okoye.

The Commission claimed that by making the registry public, it was demonstrating its commitment to openness.

From November 12 to November 18, the register is anticipated to be physically displayed at the Registration Area level.

It will be displayed at the local government level from November 19 to November 25, during which voters may voice their demands and complaints.

In addition to the physical display, Nigerians can also make claims and objections online, the Commission said.

“We wish to reassure Nigerians that the Commission is committed to transparency and accountability in all its activities,” INEC said.

“We hope that at the end of the exercise, the Commission, with the involvement of citizens, would have improved the quality of the Register of Voters, which is the bedrock of a successful election.”

The Commission said cleaning up the voter register, which contains all the voters dating back to the 2011 registration exercise, was a “continuous and painstaking process over time.”

However, multiple instances of double registration and underage voting have been reported by Nigerians.