 Welcome back. Here's so watching the breakfast on plus TV Africa quite interesting conversations still ahead We have a guest standing by indeed a justice mobology or large and one of the federal High Court in Abuja Yesterday stopped the independent National Electrical Commission. I like from ending the voter registration on 30th June 2022 well that may be a premature verdict, you know as far as reports go But the judge what a got-chart judge granted I think it's better to say is an interim injunction This is the best way to put it an interim injunction Following the hearing of an argument on motion expatriate by the socio-economic rights and accountability project syrup now syrup along with 185 Consent Nigerians and earlier this month filed a suit. It's a lawsuit against I like asking the court to declare unconstitutional illegal and incompatible international standards the failure of Electrobotty to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians exercise their rights now in the suit syrup had asked the court for an order is training Ionic and its agents as well as previous Assigns or any other persons Cleaning through it from discontinuing the continuous voters registration exercise From 30th June 2022 other any other date pending the determination of the notice or notice of motion rather Or rather the motion of notice now the suit is adjourned to 29th June because of course it's going to be ahead before The court this is for hearing of the motion on notice for Intellectuitery injunction. All right So we'll see how that goes if indeed it'll be granted on the 20th of that of June. That's just one day to the expiration of the Continuous voter registration. We have joining us public affairs analyst Muhammad Abdulahi Muhammad. Good morning, too. It's nice to see you again this week Do you understand it's in its reasons why they cannot you know continue the voter registration exercise Beyond the 30th 30th of June 2022 Have I next said so I don't think so from what I have read so far the commissioners said they were abide by the Every court order. No, I'm talking about before before this interior interim order Of course, they had a deadline for 30th June. They said they're going to stick to it So do you understand the reasons they gave for or why Ionic had to give that 30th of June as a deadline? Yes, I think some of the reason might be Definitely in preparations for the general elections. We know our system here. We take a whole lot of time and for the fact that Apologies, we are still a whole lot more Around analog. I mean we use so many manual method by now. I expect that in 2023 We will have employed more technology. It was electronic voting in our voting system Which was voted down massively by those in power, particularly the NAS members. So I think I like needed a whole lot of time. You understand that they needed time to print the ballot papers to make all the necessary logistics and 2023 elections. This is just like eight months or so from happening. So I understand they are they apply I understand what they are Trying to do. But again Sorry if I may jump your question to what happened yesterday It is important that We also give many other Nigerians the opportunity to register and vote. If I net could shift Some of their timelines accommodating party primaries and what I would call a bit of Primary shenanigans, political party shenanigans Then it's also important that they are able to work all day and night to ensure that Many more Nigerians are given the opportunity to vote to pick up their PVCs to register pick up their PVCs And then and then vote because we've been having declining Like a kind of voter apparatus since 2015 In fact in 2019 we've had less than 36 percent of the total Voters and total Registered voters coming out to vote about just 28 million from 84 million that is common That doesn't even reflect a true presidential election. We were you have 84 million registered voters and you have 28 million coming out to vote. In fact, just recently the Again the elections that happened make it a kitty three days ago. Also, we have about 36 percent of the total Registered voters coming out to vote against the 44 percent in 2018 so these are these are not These are not good statistics for our election area. So I feel even aside the fact that we needed to have more People Register pick up their PVCs to vote. We need a lot more education to do for people to come out Because the voter party is really sickening in Nigeria. All right. So you've talked about voter apathy And of course, indeed, we've been having increasing lower percentages of registered voters participating in elections and but I think needs time to prepare for the 2023 general elections and they have given ample time for Nigerians to be part of the continuous voter registration exercise Which is the face of its kind in the history of the country, you know having voters register on a continuous Basis, don't you think that we should cut the commission some slack say Nigerians have had enough time a lot of time to go register to vote and I like needs time to prepare for the election Yes, I think it's important. It's just two ways like I mentioned earlier both The preparation for INEC is very important because we don't want to Lose anything or we don't have to have we don't want to have Elections that are mad by skirmishes and irregularities, but I haven't said that as well It's also important that we also look at this side of having more people coming out to vote But like I mentioned earlier, it doesn't speak well of our country that would have 84 million registered voters and we have Just about 28 million coming up. In fact, it doesn't reflect what because we have just 28 million from 84 million It doesn't reflect The popular decision of people. Yeah, so it's from both ways. It's important that I like has time to prepare It's also important that we educate more. I think that's another thing It's not just about having more people register I think what is even very paramount that I actually do and political party should do civic organization to do and hammer on is that People should be galvanized. People should be, you know Educated on the importance of voting. It is it is our simply correct and people should know that Whether they vote or not. In fact, if they don't vote, they are They don't have chance in electing Govind them. So it is important that in respect of the fact that we spoke about Voters registration, the most important thing is canvassing people to come out to vote on the day of election. It's very important All right This is this is what you've said, which is very important And I mean it's a true that in the last general elections, you know, we had a More than 55 million people who sat at home and they didn't come out to vote I mean, of course, some of them may have passed on unfortunately or maybe some issues But 55 million and more who had voters registration a permanent voter card or a voter card They didn't go out to vote. Um, so so you are you there for saying that the problem is not in registration But actually people stepping out of their homes to vote Yes, that is in fact, that is uh for us our number one problem If going by the Registration in 2019 we have about 84 million registered voters as 84 million Then we have that is almost uh If not almost 50 to 45 at least 45 percent of our total population, which is good You understand, but it's a it's a big problem when you have Less than 30 to 5 percent of that registered number, you know, coming out vote on videos of election It is a very big problem. And that and this is where like I mentioned earlier And it should do more By sensitizing the public There are various media platforms city societies should do more. It's good. The work Is doing by ensuring that uh, or taking uh, I let the court to extend voter registration Time line, but it's also good that we have other civic societies organization other, um lobbyist coming to uh And to to come back to come out to vote. In fact, I see uh, some of the things we've had in the news Earlier last month or earlier this month where we have some churches. They went turning back Uh That the congregations, you know that they must come in only when they have their pvc We also have I've seen I've read about the hospital that doesn't charge Consultation fee, but when you come with your pvc, you have a free consultation before Other medical examinations and their administration So it is it is important that we galvanize people Not only to register or come out because it's very important It is it's it's actually of no use Where you are where you are registered to have your pvc and you don't come out to exercise your friend title on the day of election All right, let's look at what the independent national electoral commission is saying through It's a national commission now for information and voter education Faces of co-aid They're saying that extending the the continuous voter registration exercise may result in a significant percentage of invalid Registrants this is in reaction to the court's interim injunction, you know, uh, of course, they're saying that You know this now I want you to sort of court faces of court He says quote we recognize it as a constitutional and legal right of people to register So in a case not contesting that we'll have a right to register We also recognize the fact that it will add value to electoral process If we get as many Nigerians as possible to register I think they've already said in recent time that they want as many people as possible to get registered But they're saying that quote he said quote we cannot do the CVR at infinitum And be registering people who have registered before I think Nigerians should exercise patience and become He says at the end of the day the commission will do all it takes To improve registration exercise He says that um, you know the CVR exercise Ending it closer to the general elections has heavy implications on the Preparation of the commission for the elections. It says quote The implication is that we will all not be in a position to display the voter register for claims and objections The second implication is that we will not have an opportunity to clean up the voter registration Or the voter register to remove double registrants. He said So these are some of the issues that people who are not in INAQ may not understand Your your thoughts on this Yes, we mentioned that in your first question about timeline, you know, like we mentioned INAQ has a lot to do And no chance to be found that most of what STIPA carries our election is Still very manual, you know, we have a lot to do in cleaning the register Not ensuring not making sure that there are no double registration in fact triple registrations And again, we as Nigerians this portal for registration has been on for about Two months or more or even more you understand that you can continuously register and update your What's the call your date your information on the INAQ portal How have me as a electorate and as Nigerians taking that opportunity We always wait for last minute. We know to do everything This doesn't also help our Our course as a nation If I may digress a little you in In 2015 there were about just to portray what the INAQ commission I mentioned in 2015 There were about 80 or 40 something thousand Uh Boided both rejected both 800 for something thousand and job 2019 Give number is about 1.2 million or at least 1.3 million That is not acceptable because definitely Probably it's it's it's as a result of Our haziness we don't even understand properly the election learning process and so on How 1.3 million Would Would count to Boat Acceptable at all. So I think it is important that We understand the system that we are in We also give INAQ time so that we do not record a whole lot of problem when the When it's time for the general elections All right The Nigerians also have to um, you know, take a bit of the blame Uh for the situation we find ourselves in Uh bearing in mind the fact that you know, we usually would see people go out to Uh participate in activities even look at their national identity number You know, uh registration people went out last minute people had to be Blocked, you know lines had to be blocked for people to take notice So we need to have a change of our culture and the way we do things in this part of the world Definitely That's what I mentioned. We need to have a change of culture. We need to understand our system That we're still very much developing and it doesn't go well for us to always believe things to the very last minute Before we uh, we take action Uh, it is important that as a people, uh, we make things easier for our authorities as well We're making easier is easy for our agencies as well You know, INEC has a lot to do and you should understand that they are short star You you you you you recall and you understand that most of the They use a whole lot of unlawful stars when comes to general election to you so, uh There is a lot that we need to do to make sure that the process is easier for the agencies and and and our country Uh, just a quick one. First of all, Koei said that you know, they found 46 percent of uh Those who registered they did a cleaned up the voter register For those who registered between 28th june 2021 and 14th june 2022 just just one year 21 2022 june to june and they found out that 46 of those who registered were invalid registrants As many of them had registered already and came back to register So instead the problem that we talk about, you know, uh, and and this shows that The more of the blade even it's it's it's it's with Nigeria, you know Why why why go on to register again when you are registered earlier, but again the system Why can't the system pick up immediate? When you are registering for the second or third time if we have innovative systems, we you know, like I keep mentioning We use a whole lot of analog and not a whole lot of manual In this get it because if for instance everybody visit the everybody visit The bands, you know, you go in and you try to input a certain information the system can pick up that oh you have this information here already You know, so but we need to update our system We need to make sure it confirms to make this technology that we're able to see and hope this problem Uh Immediately it's a coin I like have to go to another back end spend another time another source and so on Is a kind of issues. All right. All right. Mohammed Abdelay. You're saying we need to have improved technology to make sure we solve these problems I want to thank you very much for your time. It's been an interesting conversation with you Thank you very much All right, we'll keep monitoring the activities. Of course, I like has set a spot through its, uh, um national commission and voter education faces of koei But it seems most Nigerians just want to have more time Just like the house of rap said last week to to register to vote. My name is kofi Bartels from all of us here Plus tv africa. Thanks for watching You can follow us on all our social media platforms at plus tv africa on youtube central plus tv africa and plus tv africa lifestyle See you tomorrow. Good morning