Shekarau Carpets INEC Over Flaws In Voter Registration

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 18, (THEWILL) – The Shekarau Campaign Organisation has criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the shockingly shoddy and slow manner in which the voter registration exercise is being conducted nationwide.

The campaign said the shoddiness is a fundamental flaw in the on-going transition program and a real threat to the credibility and even possibility of the 2011 general elections slated for April this year.

A statement issued by Alhaji Khaleel Bolaji, Director General, Shekarau for Nigeria Campaign Organisation, said reports reaching it from parts of the country indicated that only few persons are successfully registered on a daily basis.

“There were even instances where ordinary members of the public had to come to the assistance of the staff with regards to operating the system,” the campaign alleged.

It accused INEC of rigging the election by working with the ruling party, the PDP, to slow down the Direct Data Capture machines deployed in opposition strongholds.

In rejecting the excuse offered by INEC national commissioner in charge of Information and Publicity, Prince Solomon Soyebi, that the Commission over-rated the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members saddled with the task of voter registration, the campaign said it would hold the Federal Government and not INEC responsible for the failure of the voter registration exercise, unless President Goodluck Jonathan steps in immediately with measures to eliminate the hitches.