The new national identity card will replace
the current voters card after the 2015 general
elections, the National Identity Management
Commission , has said.
The Director of Technical Services at the
commission, Mr Emma Ogungbe told the
News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja
that the identity card would enhance the
integrity of the electoral process.
He explained that with the new identity card,
NIMC could give the details of every eligible
voter from a particular Local Government
Area, Senatorial District or State in Nigeria.
“During election, you go to a polling booth,
you get in there, what you do is carry your ID
card with you, they check your name against
what NIMC is giving them, tick it and you
vote.”
Ogungbe assured Nigerians that the new
national ID card would put a permanent end
to cases of election rigging including double
or multiple registrations or voting.
He said the “new card is error-proof’’.
“In fact, one of the ministers not long ago
even came out to say after the 2015, the
NIMC National ID card will become the
voters’ card.
“So, that just tells us that very soon, the
National ID card will also become the voters
card and there would be no need for ad hoc
registration by INEC again.
“That money can now be used by government
for other purposes to better serve Nigerians.
“We (NIMC) are able to identify you to be
you. A time will come if government says
NIMC, give me details of everyone in Lagos
State, ages 18 and above, we will give it to
them; it will be a seamless operation.
“Give me the list of people in so-so local
government or the whole of Anambra state
ages 18 and above, we will give it to them
because they’ve already been in our database
and it’s been sanitised, we know they are
who they say they are.’’