INEC Aware of Obiano’s Multiple Registration Controversy, But Punts On Action To Take

Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said today that the commission was aware of the controversy surrounding the multiple registration of Willie Obiano, the candidate of the All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA) in next Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State. But the INEC official avoided saying if Mr. Obiano would be disqualified for that reason.

Mr. Idowu spoke today during a guest appearance.

“I am aware of the controversy out there about the candidates,” said the INEC chairman’s spokesman. But he added, “There are no multiple registrations. I guarantee that.”

Mr. Idowu confirmed that the law of the country was clear that multiple registration was illegal and anyone caught doing so would face prosecution and possibly jail time. He, however, said that his commission had put in place some software that identifies double registration and deletes one.

“We have used software that retains only the latest registration,” Mr. Idowu said. “There is nobody whose name appears twice.”

Earlier this week, It was reported with documentary evidence on the fact that Mr. Obiano, APGA’s candidate for the November 16 governorship election, registered multiple times. On August 21, 2013, Mr. Obiano was issued a voter identification number (VIN) 90F5B12B88377091121. Then, at 10.25 a.m., on September 3, 2013, he was given another voter identification number 90F5B15E7D378200332.  A third registration card has also emerged from Kosofe local government area in Lagos.

Surprisingly, an Anambra State High Court had granted the candidate an injunction to shield him from criminal prosecution.

“It is against the law to register more than once,” a source at INEC confirmed this week. Section 12(2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides that “A person shall not register in more than one registration center or register more than once in the same registration center.” Section 12(3) then states that any person who contravenes the law would be liable “on conviction to a fine not exceeding N100,000 or imprisonment.”

In late October, INEC’s commissioner for election monitoring, Ishmael Igbani, said that the commission had “detected 93,526 multiple registration cases in Anambra State ahead of the November 16 governorship election. This represents five per cent of the registered voters in Anambra and they have been removed from the voters register.”

“INEC has put a lot in place to make sure the Anambra elections will be the best,” Mr. Idowu said.