The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has maintained that the strong turnout of Nigerians, particularly young people, in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise is proof that the electorate still trusts the electoral process.
Responding to recent suggestions that citizens had lost faith in elections, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, dismissed the claims as unfounded and lacking evidence.
Oyekanmi explained that the CVR, which commenced on Aug. 18 with online pre-registration, demonstrates that Nigerians remain engaged with the system.
”The CVR portal went live at 8:30 am on Aug. 18 and by 3:30 pm, seven hours later the same day, 69,376 Nigerians had pre-registered, comprising 33,803 males (48.7 per cent) and 35,573 females (51.3 per cent).
“By Aug. 24, just a week later, a total of 1,379,342 had pre-registered online. If the Commission had allowed the CVR to be completed online, that figure would have subsisted.
“However, all those who pre-registered online must complete their registration by physically appearing at their preferred designated centre to have their biometrics and other details captured, in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, specifically Sections 9(7) and 10(2).
“By Sept. 1, two weeks after the online pre-registration began, 2,532,062 Nigerians had registered online,” he said.
Oyekanmi added that within one week of the in-person registration starting on Aug. 25, a total of 72,274 citizens had either completed their online pre-registration or registered in person.
He said that by week five, on Sept. 21, since the commencement of online pre-registration, a staggering 5,385,060 Nigerians had uploaded their details to the CVR portal.
”In the same manner, by week 4 on Sept. 19, since the in-person registration began, 399,162 pre-registrants had completed the process, while 365,533 Nigerians registered physically, totalling 764,695 Nigerians that had completed the registration process in just one month.
“There is no African country with these types of voter registration figures within one month,” he said.
Beyond the CVR figures, Oyekanmi said that the recent elections, particularly the 2023 general election, demonstrated significant improvements in the country’s electoral system.
He said that the election produced the most diverse National Assembly since the restoration of democracy in 1999, with multiple parties securing seats across various levels of government.
“In the Senate, seven political parties won varying numbers of seats, comprising APC-59 seats, PDP-36, LP-8, NNPP-2, SDP-2, APGA and YPP -one each.
‘Similarly, eight political parties won seats in the House of Representatives. They include APC-177, PDP-117, LP-35, NNPP-19, APGA-five, ADC, SDP and YPP- two each.
“For the Governorship elections, APC won 16 States, PDP-10, LP and NNPP- one each.
“In fact, nine political parties won seats in the State Assemblies. They include APC-533, PDP-355, LP-38, NNPP-29, APGA-20, YPP-8, SDP-7, Accord and ADC -one each,” he said.
According to him, the outcome of subsequent bye-elections has also indicated that voters are still participating actively and trusting the system.
He noted that many of those criticising the commission continue to advocate for transferring local government polls to INEC, which shows an acknowledgment of its credibility.
“Those pushing for such reforms cannot at the same time claim that the electoral umpire lacks the people’s confidence,” Oyekanmi added.