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Nigeriaâs Electoral Commission Plans to Add Names to Voter Registry

   Chinedu Offor | Washington DC 29 July 2010

   In  Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says
   it  will add about 70 million new names to the voter registry for next
   yearâs election.

   INEC chairman Attahiru Jega says itâs necessary in order to ensure the
   credibility of the polls.

   Analysts  say poor voter registration caused the controversy after the
   last  election,  which  put the current administration in power. Local
   and  international  observers  said  that vote did not meet acceptable
   standards.

   The  current  INEC leadership is sensitive to the demands of Nigerians
   for a credible election next year, says Innocent Chukwuma, head of the
   CLEEN  Foundation,  an  NGO  based in Lagos.The previous head of INEC,
   Maurice Iwu started the process of updating the voters register.

   âThis  is  a clear vindication that we never had an electronic votersâ
   register  under  Maurice  Iwu,â  says Chukwuma, âbecause if we had had
   one,  he  (Jega)  wouldnât  be  talking  about  registering 70 million
   people.  He  would have talked about a marginal increase in the number
   to  capture  those  who  have  come  of  voting  age  between the last
   registration exercise and now.â

   Chukwuma thinks INECâs action will assure the electorate and political
   parties of its intention to conduct a credible election.

   But  he  says  despite  what  he calls the positive steps taken by the
   commission,  a  great  deal  of  work  must  be  done  to  improve its
   reputation in the eyes of the public.

   New  INEC chairman Attahiru Jega, says Chikwuma, with his âillustrious
   pedigree,â  inspires overwhelming confidence in his ability to preside
   over voter registration.

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