Senate Slams Jega; Summons Him Over Voter Registration
The Nigerian Senate at its plenary session today slammed the chairman of the Independent National commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega over the lapses that have marred the ongoing voter registration exercise.
The Senators, who expressed their disgust over the shoddy registration exercise during their plenary session, summoned Jega to appear before them on Wednesday.
The lawmakers also called for the immediate resumption of schools shut across the country for the registration exercise.
All the senators who spoke, condemned the exercise, with one of them, Senator Manzo saying it took him two days to register while only 50 people had registered in one week at a centre.
Senator Kanti Bello called for an amendment of the Electoral Act to enable INEC extend the registration of voters. Senator Effiong Bob also called for extension of the exercise.
Senators Ibrahim Ida, Ndoma Egba who moved the motion to summon INEC chairman, Uche Chukwumerije, Patricia Akwashiki, Jubril Aminu, George Sekibo, Olorunimbe Mamora all agreed that the exercise was a sham.
They expressed worry that despite the huge funds approved for INEC to conduct the registration, the commission has failed to achieve the desired result.
They said the nation couldn’t have spent N87 billion on the contraption INEC is using to register voters.
The senators insisted that the entire exercise and the cost of the Direct Data Capture machines should be investigated and appropriate sanctions be meted out to the culprits.
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