Complaints over the inadequacies of the Direct Data Capture machines and other logistic lapses noticed during the three-week voter registration may affect the final roll as registrants have complained of not finding their names.
During the one-week display of the register between February 14 and 18, our correspondents, who monitored the exercise, learnt that many registrants could not trce their names were not on the displayed lists.
The one-week display by INEC in the states across the country was for registrants to verify their names and other information, with a view to raising objections over detected errors.
“What manner of exercise is this? I have a voter card that I have been guarding jealously but my name is not on the register. What is the use of my card if I can’t vote,” a man who claimed that he registered on January 17 told one of our correspondents in a ward in Ikeja.
One of our correspondents, who registered at Ward nine, unit 01, Oko Oba in Orile-Agege area of the state, could not find his name on the list. Our correspondent registered on January 24, five days before the exercise initially ended.
The INEC registrar on duty when our correspondent visited the unit expressed surprise at the development. The registrar said the schedule showed that 40 voters were registered on that day and the names were complete.
She wondered how those who handled the registration at the unit could have recorded exactly 40 names when one was left out. Her efforts to see if the name was entered on another day failed.
“I’m sure the computer could not have generated this on its own. It was what was fed into it that it brought out. This is a peculiar case and I will report it to the officials.
“I’m in no position to explain what happened since they gave you a voter card. The corps members who worked in this unit are in the best position to explain. I am only here for the display of the voter register,” she said.
A man who refused to identify himself at a centre in Ikeja could barely control his anger when he was unable to find his name on the list. He said, “Why do I have to go through the stress of registering only to find that my name is missing from the lists? I was hoping to come here, check my name and leave but I’m now told to fill a complaint form.
“This is sheer inefficiency and I wonder the reason for this. I registered the week the registration started. I can understand if some names among those who did theirs during the one-week extension were missing but not those who had the privilege when the ink and other things materials were still available.”
In some units, the lists were pasted on the wall without any official to attend to the voters who came to check their names. In others, registrants were aided in checking errors arising from omissions or spelling.
Meanwhile, INEC on Sunday said it would commence the final display of the new voter register on March 2.
INEC also said the list would show a demographic distribution of registrants.
Speaking with THE PUNCH on the telephone, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said, “We will display the final list on March 2. It will be the authentic list.
“All questions on the register should wait till the final list is out.”
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