INEC to ensure all eligible Nigerians vote in 2023 elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that no eligible Nigerian will be disenfranchised in the 2023 general elections.

INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, gave the assurance at the presentation of the 2022 Revised Framework and Regulations for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Voting ahead of the elections in Abuja.

He said ahead of the 2015 general elections, INEC introduced the idea of voting by IDPs which was revised and validated in 2018 for the 2019 general elections.

“Today, the same policy has been revised and is being presented to stakeholders for review and validation in preparation for the 2023 general election,” said the INEC chair.

Mr Yakubu added, “The idea is to ensure that no eligible Nigerian is left out of the electoral process on account of displacement, disability or other circumstances that may limit citizens’ participation in the electoral process.”

The INEC boss explained that the policy considered an increase in the number of IDPs occasioned by violence, as well as aligning the framework with section 24 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022.

Mr Yakubu urged stakeholders to contribute to the discussion at the validation meeting to enrich the framework and the regulations for voting by IDPs.

The chairman of the house committee on INEC, Aishatu Dukku, commended INEC’s commitment to inclusivity in the electoral process.

“There is a need to also improve the framework and the regulations and guidelines for Voting by IDPs which will drive IDP voting operations for the 2023 general election,” Ms Dukku noted. “The commission should draw lessons from the 2015 and 2019 experience and efforts made and also consult with other knowledge holders at state and national levels, and also in consideration of international best practice.”

Months ago, some internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue dragged INEC before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, over an alleged attempt to deny them the opportunity to partake in the recently-concluded Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which ended July 31.

(NAN)