As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commences the issuance of Permanent Voter Cards to registered voters in some South-western states of Nigeria, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos on Wednesday raised alarm over information that 1,447,845 names of such registered voters in his state were missing from the voters’ register.
Fashola, in a broadcast, wondered what could have happened to the affected names asking if it was a ploy to deregister some people from the exercise and from exercising their rights when the time comes.
Fashola said: “As I address you today, my feelings are mixed, I am concerned.
“This is because of the reports emanating from INEC at a briefing by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos that the number of Registered voters in Lagos is now 4,800,000 (Four Million, Eight Hundred Thousand).
“This is strange, it is surprising and I believe INEC owes the people of Lagos a lot of answers and very quickly too.
“At the conclusion of voters registration exercise before the 2011 elections, the number of registered voters in Lagos as announced by INEC itself was 6,247,845 (Six Million, Two Hundred and Forty Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty Five).
“This was an exercise conducted by INEC. This was an exercise where INEC announced to Nigerians that it has secured an Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) to ensure the credibility of the Voters Register.
“INEC owes us a duty to explain how 1,447,845 (One Million, Four Hundred and Forty Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty Five) voters disappeared from among 6,247,845 registered voters announced by INEC before 2011 elections which now leaves Lagos with only 4,800,000 (Four Million, Eight Hundred Thousand) registered voters.
“Is this the beginning of a plan to disenfranchise Lagosians from exercising their rights to choose their own representatives?
“Is something more sinister in the offing to frustrate the choice of Lagosians as we have seen in other states?
“Let me assert very clearly and categorically that our Government will vigorously stand on the side of every eligible and previously registered voter to have their names back on the Voters Register compiled in 2011 unless INEC can show legitimate reasons why this should not be so,” he said.
For residents who did not register at the last election, or who were not 18 years old at the time but who have now reached that age and who want to register, Fashola said, the first phase of the exercise which is to issue voters card from 7th-9th of November 2014 is not for them, because a Voter Card is only produced from a previously existing register.
“Please note that those of you who fall into the category of persons who have never registered or who were registered and cannot find their names, will have the opportunity to register for the first time, or to re-register in the second phase which is for continuous voters registration starting from 12th November to 17th November 2014,” he added.
“After the issuance of Permanent Voters Card for those who registered at the last election or who voted, then INEC will start a process of continuous voters’ registration.
“This will happen in the second phase of the programme announced by INEC.
“So for clarity and emphasis, for 3 days, from Friday the 7th day of November 2014 to Sunday the 9th day of 2014, I urge all residents, registered in Lagos to make time to go to their registration or voting centres to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.”