INEC reveals why dead Nigerians’ names are on voter register

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has claimed that their inability to get adequate data on deaths in Nigeria, has hindered the commission from removing names of dead people from the voter register.

Yakubu insisted that INEC has been periodically removing ineligible persons and multiple registrants using technology.

However, he stated that technology cannot assist the commission to identify and remove dead persons from its record.

Yakubu made these comments when he received the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Kwarra, at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja on Friday.

He, however, called on the NPC to ensure that data on dead persons in the country is made available to the commission for a proper clean up of the voter register.

He said, “Perhaps you may wish to start by availing us with the list of prominent Nigerians who have passed on, civil and public servants compiled from the official records of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other Nigerians from hospital and funeral records across the country.

“We appreciate that this is a herculean task but that is partly why we have the National Population Commission. We are confident that the NPC has the capacity to do so. This information is critical for INEC to enhance the credibility of the National Register of Voters”.