INEC sets up committee to investigate alleged registration of underage in Kano

The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), has set up a 9-man committee to investigate the alleged registration of underage persons in Kano.

The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mamood Yakubu made this known on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the Forum of State Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON).

He mandated the committee, headed by the commission’s National Commissioner, Mr Abubakar Nahuche, to submit its report within two weeks.

The INEC boss charged the committee to ascertain if the voter register requested for by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission was actually used in the Local Government Elections.

He said committee should also engage stakeholders on issues related to the voter register and make other recommendations relevant to the assignment.

Yakubu said INEC would continue to collaborate with its counterparts in the states to ensure that local government elections meet the required standards.

Earlier, the leader of the forum, Justice Igbesurike Akoma solicited continued cooperation of INEC with the State Independent Electoral Commissions for more efficiency in the discharge of their constitutional duties.

He said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the core objectives of conducting free, fair and credible elections at all levels existed between both bodies.

Akoma said it was sad that the provisions of the MoU had not been followed in the past for unexplainable reasons.

“It is based on this that the new leadership is here to appeal to the chairman to reopen this door to get lNEC and FOSIECON resume this collaboration,” he said.

Akoma said that the forum supported lNEC’s position in the development of Electronic Voting System (EVM) that is currently ongoing in the country.

He urged the commission to always carry the forum along in the development by way of capacity building and experience sharing on the system.

Akoma said that the forum believed that as the system gains acceptance in national election, it would come into use in local election.

He assured INEC that the forum and her members were available for continued cooperation in the drive to serve the nation election management system. (NAN)