A Nigerian twitter user, Shehu Sadiq has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for registration of underage voters in Northern part of the country.
Sadiq, who identified himself as a Northerner described the resignation of the underage voters as shameful and unacceptable, adding that “INEC should invalidate all the underage registered voters now!
“Look at the work of @inecnigeria in my Northern Nigeria. This is shameful and unacceptable,” Sadiq tweeted.
Look at the work of @inecnigeria in my Northern Nigeria. This is shameful and unacceptable. INNEC should invalidate all the underage registered voters now! pic.twitter.com/cFvCH9yILA
— Shehu Gazali Sadiq (@Shehusky) November 13, 2022
Sadiq tweet is coming barely a few months to the country’s general election.
Reacting to the above post, Nigerians who had worked with INEC, especially as a member of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, corroborated the Sadiq story. They shared their experiences while working as INEC Ad-hoc staff.
Akinwunmi Muhammed, said when he was working with INEC in the 2007 election in Taraba State, he had an encounter with underage voters.
He tweet: “I was a presiding officer in the 2007 election in Taraba State & an underage voter came forward with his voter’s card to which I refused to issue him a ballot paper but then I was told by his people that I’m not better than the person who registered him and the fact that his name is in the register I have no choice but to comply by issuing him the ballot paper hence they are ready to deal with me.
“I complied with immediate effect cuz I was warned by my SPO earlier not to resist them for any reason.
Like Akinwunmi, Nnaemeka Davids had similar experience while working with INEC as a member of NYSC in 2011 at Mangari Village, Borno State.
Davids said he was threatened and pressurized to register an underage voters. “In (2011)in Mangari village in Buratai town Borno State, during NYSC.”
“I was threatened &pressurized in 2 (to) registering kids under 18yrs. I was told I won’t leave dia place if I don’t register the little boys. I love my life so I complied (sic).
Another twitter user, Temmytayoh said same thing him in the 2019 election in Kogi State, according to him, “It’s not a new thing in northern part of this country.”
“Same thing happened to me during 2019 election in kogi state. It’s not a new thing in northern part of this country even they see as normal thing. Even in my own case a kids will bring his/her parents voters card to vote and those SPO will tell u to allow them to vote.”
