Lagos residents trickle in to view voters register as INEC begins display

Tue, Nov 6, 2018 | By publisher


Politics

Registered voters in Lagos State on Tuesday trickled in to check their details at different polling units as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) began display of the register of voters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the display is being done across the 8, 462 Polling Units (PUs) in all the 20 local government areas of the state.

The exercise, scheduled to hold between Nov. 6 and Nov.12, is meant to clean up the voters register ahead of the 2019 General Elections.

Eligible voters are expected to cross check their details on the register and raise  objections, where necessary, within the stipulated period.

Voters are also expected to report any incorrect information or observation of irregularities in the names on the register, especially as regards those that are not supposed to there.

NAN correspondent who monitored the exercise in some polling units in Alimosho and Lagos Mainland Local Governments observed the presence of only few persons at the polling units to check the register.

In PUs 009, 010 and 011 of Ward 10 Pleasure/Oke-Odo area of Alimosho Local Government, only two eligible voters were sighted checking the register at noon.

Mr Sunday Alao, a party agent at the PU 009 of Ward 10, which is located in the Alaguntan Primary School, Alimosho, told NAN that he was still expecting people to come out and check the register.

Also, at the PU 008, Ajayi Bembe St. and 012, Oyediran Estate/ Abule Oja in Lagos Mainland Local Government situated at St. Agnes Primary School, only two women were seen checking the register when NAN correspondent was there.

One of the two, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said that she was only checking the register to see the name of her children.

Meanwhile, Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, the National Commissioner of INEC in charge of Lagos, Ogun and Ondo , who spoke with newsmen after monitoring some polling units, expressed satisfaction on the display of voters register in the state.

Ogunmola urged eligible voters in Lagos to check their names in the register, as the purpose of the exercise is to ensure that all the necessary omissions are taken into consideration.

“At the end of the day, we are going to have a near perfect register of voters.

“I want to employ the Nigerian public to ensure that they seize this opportunity to check their names and check the correctness of their information.

“It will afford people the opportunity of making necessary correction on the data they submitted, so as not to have problem with their registration (during elections).

“The display of register of voters is a way of crossing the ‘Ts’ and doting the ‘Is’ of the register,’’ Ogunmola said.

According to him, the exercise is part of the steps to give Nigerians a very credible register of voters in 2019 general elections.

Speaking to NAN in his office, Mr Femi Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officers (PRO) of INEC in the state, expressed optimism that more people would take advantage of the display as the exercise progresses.

“Our electoral officers worked throughout the night to paste these voters register because of the proposed strike of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) , so as to fulfil our constitutional obligations.

“We urge all registered voters to visit their polling units to see their names and raise objections on any issue pertaining to the register, where necessary.

“This exercise is meant to clean up our voters register.

“We want to remove names of dead persons, underage and foreigners, as well as others that are not supposed to be in the register.

“If any person notices anybody in these categories on the register, that person can raise alarm at INEC office, either at the local government level or state level,’’ he said.

Akinbiyi urged eligible voters to also seize the opportunity of the voters register display to pick up their Permanent Voter Cards at the ward level. (NAN)

– Nov. 6, 2018 @ 18:55 GMT |

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