Former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to connect the voters’ registration with the National Identification Number (NIN) database.
According to the former minister, this will put an end to the period of underage voting and numerous registrations, and individuals should be able to carry out online voter registration just like most application processes.
He specifically said:
“I am suggesting a more seamless registration system that will be continuous and terminates only a few weeks before the election, to allow for compilation and printing of cards. This registration should be synced with the National Identification Number (NIN), It will automatically eliminate underage voters and the possibility of multiple registrations. More importantly, people should be able to do the registration online, on their own, just like most application processes we have today. They should only go to the INEC office for biometric data capture and card collection.”
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Agents of the political parties don’t know what to do
Aregbesola also pushed for appropriate INEC and party agent training by saying:
“it appears for the most part that agents of the political parties don’t know what to do on election day and at the polling units. INEC should endeavour to train them on what specific roles they will play in elections”
He also specifically said:
“Fourthly, the logistics should be smooth and seamless. In many instances, voting officials will arrive late or without the materials or the machines may just start malfunctioning. Elections should start and end on schedule. Many voters are eventually disenfranchised due to late commencement of voting.”
This is the democratic essence.
Aregbesola also advocated for the liberalization of Nigeria’s electoral laws, so that parties without a presence in all federation states might field candidates and participate in the democratic process.
He said:
“This is the democratic essence. The space must be created to a reasonable extent to give people room for the expression of their aspirations. Of course, there will be extreme, unreasonable, and unrealizable aspirations, nevertheless, they should have expressions within reasonable limits.
He pointed out that openness in the election process is critical to a nation’s survival, stating that adequate data are critical to the establishment of accountability, which is the first step toward growth.
According to a statement issued by his media office in Osogbo, Aregbesola made the remarks on Tuesday while presenting the lead paper titled “Towards Free, Fair, and Credible Elections,” at the 7th International Conference of the Professional Statisticians Society of Nigeria (PSSN), which was held at Nasarawa State University in Keffi.
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Aregbesola praises president Tinubu for his political success
In another story, Rauf Aregbesola, the former Minister of Interior, expressed his gratitude towards President Bola Tinubu and his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, acknowledging them as his political mentors and supporters.
On his Twitter account, Aregbesola credited Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his role in his political career. He attributed his appointment as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 to Tinubu, who served as the governor of Lagos State at the time.
Aregbesola further acknowledged Tinubu’s instrumental support in his subsequent election as the governor of Osun State, a position he held from 2010 to 2018.
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