Crack in INEC over Iwu’s order on voter registers

    * By Yusuf Alli
 

A crack occurred in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend following an order by its Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, that voter registers in Ekiti, Anambra Rivers and Lagos states be withdrawn to the headquarters in Abuja .



At the meeting, it was gathered that Iwu took time to explained that there are "anomalies in the voter registers nationwide and there is need to fix the registers in preparation for 2011."

A highly-placed source also quoted Iwu as saying that "as a matter of urgency, a team would leave for Ekiti, Anambra, Lagos and Rivers on or before Monday to mop up voter registers in these four states."


"Some management staff also dwelt on technical matters by saying that it is strange in the history of the commission to mop up voter registers in any state.

"They also argued that there is no basis for the withdrawal of the registers because INEC has in place a Continuous Voter Registration System in place.

"This system enables the commission to update the voter registers nationwide naturally without mopping up.’’

A source at the meeting, said: "In defiance of the advice of the management, the INEC chairman insisted that the mopping up of voter registers will go ahead,

"To the bewilderment of all staff at the meeting, Iwu asked the first batch of 17 staff that would mop up the registers in Ekiti, Anambra, Rivers and Lagos , to leave Abuja on Sunday for the emergency mission.

"So, we expect that the 17 staff will begin the withdrawal of the voter registers as from Monday."

"The INEC chairman said the commission is embarking on a 30-day withdrawal of voter registers nationwide’’.

"But the management opposed him and asked Iwu to explain what he meant by saying INEC will ‘fix’ the voter registers.


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