My dead father's name is on INEC's register - Voter laments

Remmy Hazzan, Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor on Public Communications has noted that the register used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the 2023 general election contains many dead people.

Hazzan who voted earlier in the day at the polling unit six, ward 14 in Omu area of Odogbolu Local Government of Ogun State said that the register contained the names of so many late people including his later father.

He noted that INEC was building on the 1999 register, stressing that the commission should reprocess the entire voters’ registration.

According to him, the failure of INEC to remove names of dead people from the list contributed to reported voter apathy.

“In this election and in this particular unit, we have the highest number of turnout, but if you check in relation with the voters’ register, you will see that there is voters’ apathy because some people on the list are dead.

“My father is in that register and he died about eight years ago. He hasn’t been removed from the register. So, INEC should have a working plan on how to get notified when voters have become deceased so that they can take them off effectively.

“I will advocate that at the earliest convenience time, INEC should reprocess the entire voters’ registration.

“I have always had a problem with our voters’ register as nation because it has been a build up since 1999 register. In that register you have many dead people who were yet to be taken off from the register. In that register, you had ghosts voters who were registered at that time biometric were not in condition to register.

“Building on that register using it as a measure for voter turnout, I am not comfortable with that.”