INEC Inaugurates Registration And Election Review Committee

INEC on Tuesday in Abuja inaugurated an eight-man Registration and Election Review Committee (RERC) to evaluate the registration of voters and the 2011 elections.

Dr. Abdulkadri Oniyangi, INEC National Commissioner while inaugurating the committee, said the objective was to understand the strength and weaknesses of the commission in the exercises.

He added that the committee would also appraise all the operational processes for the voter registration and elections, including planning, organisation, coordination and evaluation of activities.

Oniyangi said the appraisal would focus on logistics, procurement and delivery of materials as well as deployment of personnel.

The commissioner stressed the need to reposition the commission in order to operate more efficiently by preparing to meet some of the challenges as it moved toward next electoral cycle.

He opined that the appraisal would also help to create a world standard electoral management body in which basic electoral best practises would be routine.

“Effective staff and organisational capacities will be developed to meet the challenges of an electoral management.”

According to him, the committee will also re-assess the legal framework for the conduct of elections with a view to addressing some of the key legal challenges that had arisen in the course of both exercises.

“It will also review the process of party primaries and nomination of candidates during the 2011 elections and INEC monitoring of those processes.”

Oniyangi said a comprehensive report was expected from the committee and would feed into subsequent preparations for 2015 elections and restructuring of the commission.

Prof. Adele Jinadu, chairperson of the committee, said they would do their best faithfully and conscientiously.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee, which will sit for one month, is made up of scholars and external consultants.

They are Prof. Festus Iyayi, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, Hajia Saudatu Mahdi, Dr. Nasiru Yauri, Prof Abdulhamid Ujo, Prof. Anthonia Simbine and Hajia Bilkisu Yusuf.