Impressive turnout has been recorded at various centers across the country where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has put on display the preliminary voters register to be used in the conduct of the 2023 general elections. It is also being displayed on the commission’s website.

A notice by the Commission on Saturday the first day of the display, said it is displaying the register for eligible voters to confirm their details, as well as report persons ineligible to vote who have been captured in the register. The display is for the purpose of claims and objections.

Prospective voters checking their names on the register in Abuja.

“The commission will print and display the Preliminary Register of Voters (2011 till date) at the Registration Areas (Wards) and the headquarters of Local Government and Area Councils nationwide,” the notice reads.

To view the displayed preliminary register of voters of a Polling Unit (PU) on the website, select the State, the Ward and the Polling Unit and click “DISPLAY”. The list of voters in that PU will be displayed for scrutiny.

“The display exercise at the Registration Areas (Wards) will be undertaken by the staff of the Commission and supported by National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in the locality.”

The display exercise is following the Electoral Act 2022 Amended. The exercise took off at various centers across Nigeria on Saturday and different persons have been going to the centers to ensure that their names are on the register. It is also part of efforts to further clean up the register ahead of the 2023 elections.

INEC began the display of preliminary voters register across the 245 wards in Lagos State on Saturday for claims and objections. Mrs Adenike Oriowo INEC public Affairs Officer said INEC officials would be available in each of the wards between 9.a.m. and 3.p.m. daily from Nov. 12 to Nov. 25 to take records.
She said the display would hold at the wards from Nov. 12 to Nov. 18 and continue at INEC local government offices from Nov.19 to Nov. 25.

In Abuja, it was observed that both young and old, thronged the centers to confirm their names were on the list of voters in the 12 ward in Abuja Municipal Area Council, (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Clement Oha, the commission’s Administrative Secretary in Ebonyi, said that the voters register display was an important pre-election exercise which allowed registered voters to raise claims and objections as well as other issues affecting their registration.

Mr. Oha who distributed copies of the voter registers to the 13 INEC Electoral Officers (EOs) for the 13 Local Government Areas of the state, charged them to ensure that registers are displayed in the 171 electoral wards in Ebonyi state.

“The display of the voters’ registers which commenced on, Nov. 11, is to enable the voters across the 171 registration areas to raise claims and objections; I know that the commission had trained staff who are going to carry out the exercise”

The Lagos INEC information officer urged the public to help INEC to identify names of dead people still on the register as well as names of under-age people or foreigners and others who were not eligible to be on the register.

She stressed, however, that every claim and objection must be backed with authentic proofs.
“Lagos residents should take advantage of this and go and check the register to confirm their details and particulars to make sure everything is correct. We want the people of Lagos State and all stakeholders to scrutinise the register for claims and objections.

“Potential voters should draw INEC’s attention to any corrections in their personal particulars and any malicious registrations, multiple registration, or registration of non-Nigerians,’’ she said.

Many of the people who visited centres in Abuja were happy their names were on the register. Mercy Mohammed one of those whose names appeared of the list at LEA Primary School, Orozo, said she would for the first time in her life be taking part in the electoral process.

Another centre where many prospective voters turned out at AMAC was Kabusa.
Mr. Yahaya Mustapha, INEC Electoral Officer for AMAC expressed happiness that the exercise went well in all the centres.