The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega has disclosed that the Commission detected 93,526 multiple registration cases in Anambra state.
He was speaking on Monday during an interactive session with the media and civil society organizations on voters’ registration optimization, co-sponsored by the UNDP-DGD.
The figure, he said represented about five percent of the registered voters in the state, assuring that the names had been removed from the register.
According to him, underage registration remains a major factor militating against smooth registration in the country, adding that INEC officials were helpless in areas where such took place.
To serve as deterrent to others, Jega said the Commission was collaborating with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to prosecute the offenders.
His words, “This exercise is starting with Anambra and will be done nationwide before the 2015 general elections”.
As part of the measures being put in place to check electoral fraud, Prof Jega said all voters’ cards would henceforth be issued and collected at the local governments with age identification by the electorate.
While calling for the cooperation of all stakeholders as the country moves towards 2015, Jega also said the newly registered All Progressives Congress (APC0 could field candidates for the forthcoming local government election in Anambra.
The INEC boss spoke further, “As we count down to the 2015 elections the commission is increasingly fine-tuning work process to ensure delivery of elections that are much more free, fair and credible than that of 2011”.
