Nigeria Content Online

One of the ways the ongoing voter registration exercise can be
saved from collapse is for the Independent National Electoral Commission to
hand over its conduct to banks, a member of the House of Representatives, Uche
Ekwunife, has said.

Mrs. Ekwunife, who represents Anaocha, Njikoka, Dunukofia
federal constituency in Anambra State said yesterday in her Nri hometown where
she had gone to register that this had become necessary in the face of the
likelihood of many Nigerians not being registered because of the slowness of
the machines.

According to her, banks have the requisite equipment and
experience to do a better job and at less cost to the federal government.

“I believe the banks in Nigeria can handle what INEC is doing.
They have the experience, the security, uninterrupted power supply and they
open and close early,” said Mrs. Ekwunife, who is seeking re-election to her
seat on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

She noted that 20% of the money spent in the current exercise
would have been enough to pay banks for their charges and still give the
federal government value for its money.

“All they need do is to send all the required data to the banks
so that people can register wherever they are,” she stated.

Mrs. Ekwunife who regretted the amount of time wasted in
registering people blamed it on the equipment being used and said a lot still
needed to be done by INEC to convince Nigerians they were serious.

Use the old register

She also suggested a return to the old voters’ register if the
current exercise proved too difficult to handle. She said those who did not
find their names in that old register could now come for update. Alternatively,
Mrs. Ekwunife called for an amendment of the Electoral Law in order to enable
INEC to adopt Option A-4 for the purpose of the April elections.

“INEC needs exactly one year to do registration if they must get
it right and we have just three months to go,” she stated.

She said the issue was not about extending the exercise but in
making sure the equipment worked well. Mrs. Ekwinife said even if the
registration exercise was extended, INEC would still need to add at least two
months to get enough people to register.

“It is either they do this or they will revisit the Electoral Act and opt
for Option A-4,” Mrs. Ekunife said.