A Federal High Court recently granted an interim injunction restraining the Independence Electoral Commission, INEC, from ending voters’ registration. The injunction was a fall out of peoples’ criticism of INEC’s election to suspend the exercise on June 30 whereas voters registration is a continuous process.
FOR example, in the United States, electoral commissions refrain from giving a deadline to voters’ registration, until about a month or two to elections. In the United Kingdom, people undertake voters’ registration all the time, and the electoral authorities only give deadlines to registration when the general election is approaching. In France, voters’ registration takes place on a continuous basis, which accounts for the high turnouts during polls.
THE Hope commends the court for arm-twisting the electoral body towards the path of justice, and frowns at an attempt made by INEC to impose at a deadline for voters’ registration too early.Without mincing words, continuous voters’ registration should be an ongoing process, subject to a few months to when an election holds.In other words, the deadline given by INEC does not portray an ideal situation, even though it must have been forced to make it due to challenges posed by electoral planning or logistic considerations.
EVEN with concerns about election planning or logistics, attempts at imposing deadlines on continuous voters’ registration might rob the people of the advantages inherent in registering to vote at elections. When people get registered for elections, we believe the nation’s democracy will grow, as opportunities come through their voting powers to prevent incompetent persons from gaining political power. With the electorate having the chance to get registered, people get the power to build on democratic traditions, as well as deepen their engagement in the process.
WITHOUT over stretching the point, continuous voters’ exercise gives the electorate the feeling of satisfaction at exercising rights and duties as Nigerian citizens who desire the growth and development of the nation. Needless to say, if INEC prevents people who desire the growth and development of the nation from participating at elections, an unprecedented level of apathy for politics ensues, and this is not good for our democracy.
BESIDES, when eligible Nigerians have the right to register as voters, it creates a feeling of inclusiveness, an important factor in the strengthening of the democratic practice in this part of the world. By having the opportunity to register and vote, youths acquire the chance to gain employment and other privileges of a nation-state through the positioning of leaders sympathetic to their conditions.
WHEN elections redress their condition into a positive direction, they become interested in the political process, especially having gained a feeling of inclusiveness and rights as Nigerians, an opportunity strengthening democratic traditions. With the strengthening of democratic practices, the establishment of a stable and peaceful society becomes possible, guaranteeing the future and specific needs of a coming generation.
ACCORDING to INEC, over 10 million fresh voters have been included in the current exercise as of June 27, 2022. This has increased the total number of registered voters in Nigeria to 93 million up from 84 million as of 2019. However, the challenges encountered by the commission include a surge in the number of people coming to register which overwhelmed it. The people are being stressed because the machines deployed are in inadequate as well as shortage of INEC personnel to cater for them.
WITH this scenario The Hope enjoins INEC to jettison the habit of always having a fixed time for voters’ registration, and make the process one without a time limit. Therefore, apart from extending voters’ registration indefinitely, INEC should make the exercise less cumbersome to people who desire to register by improving on the logistics to drive the exercise. Also, it should intensify its sensitization and awareness campaigns over the issue, and thus enabling more people to register for the next polls, as well as making them to understand that voters’ cards do not expire.
INEC should deplore more machines to the process for a seamless operation and effective exercise.To further improve its functions, INEC should computerize its machines, enable it to continue to register voters at any point in time, make it unnecessary for the giving of deadlines, which may discourage potential voters from exercising their franchise and thus allowing incompetent persons to gain political power .
ON the part of the electorate, they should avail themselves of the chance to register for the nation’s polls and if they refused to vote, they have no right to complain when corrupt or ineffective politicians gain political positions. In addition, voters should refrain from double registration, since it makes the democratic process a charade, and goes against the Electoral Act 2022, which considers such an attitude an offense punishable under the laws of the land. In other words, voters in Kano State committed an offence punishable under the laws of the land when 40% of them engaged in a double registration in the present exercise.
WITH the people performing their roles at registration and INEC allowing voters’ registration to move on seamlessly, the nation’s democracy becomes stronger, giving the people the ability to remove or retain those who step forwards with the aim of providing qualitative service to the Nation.
