2023: Why Dead Nigerians’ Names Are Still On Voter Register – INEC Chair

Ahead next general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has pleaded with the National Population Commission (NPC) to assist it to clean up the Voter’s Register.

Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made the plea on Friday when the Chairman, NPC, Isa Kwara paid him a courtesy visit.

The INEC Chairman specifically said the NPC should assist the electoral umpire with data that will assist in further enhancing the credibility of the National Register of Voters.

Professor Yakubu who hinted that INEC has its own technology of eliminating multiple registrations asked NPC to present it with data of deceased Nigerians so that the Commission could clean up its Voter’s Register.

He said: “Of immediate interest to INEC is how the NPC can provide data that will assist us in further enhancing the credibility of the National Register of Voters. We are happy that today, INEC has the largest biometric register of citizens in Nigeria complete with photographs and fingerprint information for voter authentication. We have also introduced facial biometric authentication of voters which was successfully piloted in the recent bye-election in Isoko South 1 State Constituency in Delta State.

“In order to make the voters’ register more robust, we have been periodically cleaning it up by removing ineligible persons or multiple registrants from it using a combination of technology i.e. the Automatic Biometric Identification System (ABIS) and information provided by citizens during the display of the register for claims and objections as required by law. However, we need to do more. At present, technology cannot help us to identify and remove dead persons from the voters’ register.

“Therefore, I wish to once more appeal to the Chairman of the NPC, in your capacity as the registrar of births and deaths in Nigeria, to periodically avail us of the data of deceased Nigerians so that we can use the official information from your Commission to further clean up the voters’ register.”

“Perhaps you may wish to start by availing us with the list of prominent Nigerians who have passed on, civil and public servants compiled from the official records of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other Nigerians from hospital and funeral records across the country. We appreciate that this is a Herculean task but that is partly why we have a National Population Commission. We are confident that NPC has the capacity to do so. This information is critical for INEC to enhance the credibility of the National Register of Voters.”