The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) resident electoral commissioner in Kano Professor Riskuwa Shehu Arabu said there is no underage person in INEC voters register.
He said the procedure laid down for voters’ registration by the commission will not allow underage to register.
Prof. Riskuwa Shehu Arabu stated this on Tuesday at a news conference on display of register of voters held in Kano.
He said the widely reported incident of underage voting during local government council election in Kano was highly exaggerated.
According to him the commission does not conduct local government election but rather provide voters register to State Independent Electoral Commission.
“I think the issue of underage voting (during local government election) was highly exaggerated. For whatever reason some people probably are a bit more mischievous about it.
“What I can assure you is that our voters’ register is not having underage voters. Because the procedures we follow to register, there is no way to have an underage person,” Prof. Arabu said.
The resident electoral commissioner explained that “the purpose of the display of the register is to address the removal of ineligible voters including deceased registered voters, Non Nigerians, registrants with still pictures, underage and multiple registration.”
He added that part of the reason of for the display of the register of voters at all the polling units from Tuesday 6th to Monday 12th November is to obtain peoples’ claims and objections at registration areas.
He said although the commission has dutifully cleaned up the register using the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), it is the right of citizens under the law to examine the register and draw the attention of the commission on any ineligible persons.
Professor Riskuwa Shehu Arabu revealed that during the the display of the register, permanent voters card would be available for collection at the registration areas.
