INEC To Prosecute 72 Cases Of Double Registration In Anambra

The Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) is to prosecute 72 out
of some 93,000 cases of double
registration recorded in 2011 in Anambra. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the
state, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukogu, made
the disclosure while speaking with
newsmen in Awka on Saturday. He said that the prosecution would serve as
a deterrent to other intending electoral
offenders in the state. Onukaogu said that INEC was determined to
make election a process in Nigeria and not
an event. He said that the commission was able to
detect the fraud during the data
consolidation process, finding people with
multiple registrations. “We have their names, pictures, addresses
and gradually all of them will be caught and
prosecuted but we are starting with 72
persons. The state police command had
been notified. The commissioner said that INEC had
improved over the years, noting that
loopholes of yesteryears had been plugged. He warned voters to desist from violating
electoral laws. Onukaogu also disclosed that 50 wards in
the state recorded zero in the direct data
capturing machine during the consolidation
process, saying that the wards would be re-
registered. The commissioner said that the affected
wards were in Awka South Local
Government Area with 34 wards; Nnewi
South with five wards; Nnewi North four;
Idemili North two ; Ayamelum two and Ihiala
two. He said that electorate in the affected
wards would be re-captured, urging voters
to avail themselves of the opportunity to
re-register. The commissioner said that the commission
had embarked on pasting of registered
voters’ names in all the 4,608 polling units
in the state. Onukaogu said that the exercise would end
on Aug. 18, to ensure that eligible voters
were not denied their rights to vote. He advised eligible voters to go to their
respective polling units to check their
names and report any anomaly to the
electoral officers in their areas for
necessary action. Onukaogu said that the continuous voter
registration exercise would commence in
the state on Aug. 19 and end on Aug. 25. He urged every eligible voter to participate
in the exercise. [NAN]