Equity International Initiative, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to reinstate omitted names in the voters’ register ahead of the 2019 election.
Mr Chris Iyama, Country Director, Equity International Initiative made the call while briefing the newsmen on the state of the nation ahead of the 2019 poll in Abuja.
Iyama said the group conducted a research in the six geopolitical zones of the country with support of the Department for International Development (DFID) and “we gathered over 1.3 million papers.”
He said the group discovered that names of many Nigerians who participated in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) did not enter the register.
“One of the things we were able to gather from the research is that citizens who registered to vote don’t have their names on the register.
“INEC omitted many names in the just published voter’s register, we approached INEC to ensure that give information on what happened and they said it could be a mechanical fault.
“So we urge INEC to ensure that those names come back because we found out that they stood under the sun to register but at the end of the day their names did not come out.
“Therefore, we are urging INEC to do the right thing and re-examine the register and correct the omission so as not to raise eyebrows and also to ensure that everybody is carried along in the election,’’ he said.
Iyama called on INEC to welcome all the claims and observations being raised in the interim register published so as not to disenfranchise Nigerians.
He said the group’s major objective was to enhance justice, equity, truth and reconciliation, adding it would not want a situation whereby eligible citizens would not vote in the 2019 poll.
He also called on the political parties to talk among themselves ahead of the commencement of campaign to come up with strategies that would not lead to violence across the country.
He further appealed to the Nigerian Army to fish out the culprits responsible for the death of Retired Maj. Gen. Idris Alkali and bring them to justice.
Iyama said that this would save other innocent people from suffering the brunt of the crime committed by a few culprits.
He also called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government to return to the negotiating table because students are suffering at home.
He said that the incessant strike was affecting the education system adding that “if there is enough funding for our education, the strike will be minimized.’’