Voter register irregularities: 'You must explain how it happened' - CDD to INEC

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) West Africa has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to furnish an extensive explanation of the irregularities discovered in the national voter register and implement steps to prevent future occurrences. During an interview on Arise News, Chibuike Mgbeahuruike, the Election Lead at CDD West Africa, emphasized that INEC should not only identify individuals responsible but also probe the circumstances that facilitated these lapses.

This call came after INEC announced that it had identified 54 individuals from 10 states suspected of involvement in the voter registration irregularities. While Mgbeahuruike commended INEC's acknowledgment of the issues and identification of those responsible as a positive step towards improving voter register integrity, he stressed that Nigerians are entitled to understanding how these irregularities transpired and what measures INEC plans to institute to prevent similar incidents in the future.

He reiterated that such lapses should not have occurred and that INEC must therefore be forthcoming with explanations and rectify the weaknesses in its processes. Mgbeahuruike also called for INEC to assure Nigerians that such issues would not recur, highlighting the critical importance of a reliable voter register to Nigeria's electoral process.