The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified efforts to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise, vowing to eliminate multiple registrations and ensure that only eligible Nigerian citizens of voting age are enrolled nationwide.

To achieve this, the Commission says it has strengthened collaboration with key institutions, particularly the Judiciary and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), as part of a broader strategy to protect the credibility of the voters’ register.

INEC stressed that the renewed partnerships are critical to verifying age, citizenship and identity, describing the CVR as the foundation upon which the entire electoral process is judged.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Sokoto State, Umar Yusuf Garba, disclosed this on Tuesday in Sokoto, noting that the Commission remains firmly committed to delivering a transparent and credible registration process.

According to him, INEC is working closely with courts to validate age declarations and relevant documents, while engaging the NIS to ensure that only Nigerian citizens particularly in border communities are registered as voters.

“We want to be certain that registrants are Nigerians and that they have attained the constitutional voting age of 18, using verifiable records such as birth documents, primary school certificates and court issued age declarations,” Garba said.

He added that collaboration with immigration authorities has become more critical given Nigeria’s porous borders, as the Commission seeks to prevent non citizens from infiltrating the electoral register.

Garba further revealed that the first phase of the CVR exercise recorded strong nationwide participation, with Sokoto State registering over 162,000 new voters.

He noted that Sokoto ranked third nationally in the number of registered voters during the phase, behind Osun and Kano states, which placed first and second respectively.

The REC also disclosed that INEC has intensified voter education and public awareness campaigns to encourage participation while discouraging electoral malpractice.

Looking ahead, Garba reiterated calls for the establishment of a special electoral offences tribunal, describing it as a necessary reform to deter violations, strengthen the electoral process and boost public confidence.

“INEC is learning, improving and correcting past mistakes. With dedicated personnel and stronger institutions, we are steadily moving towards a more credible electoral system,” he said. (VANGUARD)

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