INEC Records Low Verification In Rivers …Registers 2.4million Voters

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recorded low turn-out of eligible voters in Rivers State for the ongoing verification exercise..

The  commission, however, says that it registered 2.4.million voters in the state.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rivers State, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, who disclosed this while monitoring voters verification in the state yesterday said the low turn out of Nigerians at various polling units shows that the voters registration was a new correct data.

Ikoiwak explained that a situation where people came and discovered that their names, data and other particulars were correct, showed that the voters registration exercise was not doubtful.

For those who had claims, the INEC boss, noted that the commission was working round the clock to address the claims and objections of Nigerians.

He assured that claims and objections of persons would be received by the commission, explaining that Nigerians were asked to verify the list after the  voters registration exercise and make their claims and objections.

According to him, if at the end of the five days nobody comes out, then there is nothing the commission can do.

He explained that the voters verification is displaced in all the polling units and said this exercise is happening for the first time which show that the electoral body was determined to conduct a credible and free elections in the country.

Ikoiwak described the exercise as important because it helps the commission to correct some mistakes that  occurred during the voters registration exercise.

‘The exercise would also help the commission to have a good and better voters register that would be free of mistakes. Presently, what we have is raw data, collected from the field. This data will have to pass three other stages before the final register will be produced”, he said.

He however, said the electronic aspect of the  electronic system was only on voters register, explaining that the voting would be  manual.

He noted that subsequently, the voting in Nigeria would be electronic, stressing that after the April elections, INEC would be updating its voters registration to accommodate those who are not up  to 18 years now and delete those that had died.

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