 Welcome back. It's so plus politics. The Independent National Electro Commission has announced that it discovered over 1.3 million invalid registrations in the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise the commission also set the figure amounted to 44.6% of the 2.5 2 3 million completed registrations of the INAG Chairman Professor Mahmoud Yacoubou said this during a press conference in the nation's capital Boudja according to him the figure was from completed registration studying from June 2021 to January 14 2022 while describing the development as worrisome the INAG bus cited multiple registration failure of the automated biometric identification system an incomplete Data as the reasons for the invalid voter registrations Yacoubou also said Infraction happened the infraction happened in all the states of the Federation. I would like us to discuss this is I'm glad to say Professor Sokoya, who is the National Electro or the National Commissioner of Information and Voter Education at INAG? Mr. Sokoya, thank you very much for your time Thank you so much These are indeed warring statistics I saw the the the infographic that I like put up and I think I like has been doing well in getting these Infographics up so that it can be easy for the public to understand and I saw it Entry my what's up this morning this afternoon and I was shocked to see 44.6% Nationally and please take us through the reasons I know that this has been put out by the National Chamber But please take us through the reasons why we're having these number of invalid registrations Well, it's really not new Since the Commission introduced the biometric voter registration exercise and we've been having invalid their registrations if you recall in 2019 when the Commission in 2011 I beg my pardon in 2011 and when the Commission concluded the voters registration exercise We discovered a total of four million two hundred and thirty nine thousand nine hundred and twenty three invalid registrations Now as we were heading towards the 2015 general election We also carried out the CVR and that brought the total figure of registered voters to 69 million 720,000 350 and it went down, you know, because previously what we had was 73 million 528,040 Now just before the 2019 general election The Commission also conducted the CVR exercise and we registered a total of 15 million 317,872, but out of this number we had a total of 1,034,141 invalid registrations And that brought the total number of registered voters for the 2019 general election to 84 million Now for this particular exercise, we started on the 28th day of June 2021 we had a two-track process one One track involved physical registration, which we did in our state and local government offices Why the second track involved a pre-registration using our online portal So it is a combination of all these registrations That's led to this particular figure you are seeing now most of these invalid registrations came from one persons who lost their PVC's and rather than going to go and report that they lost their PVC's They went and registered a fresh the second relates to persons whose PVC's have been damaged Rather than report damage PVC they went and registered a fresh The third involved registrants who Wanted to transfer from one state to the other rather than engage in transfer. They registered a fresh unfortunately for most of these people we have a more robust Cleaning up system involving an automated biometric identification system app is which no not only identifies Your printer print but also identifies your facial and so wherever you are wherever you have Around to whichever state we approve to it is able to identify you So this accounts for some of these multiple registrations that we have had and it's a really really unfortunate Indeed really unfortunate like you said. I'm just going through the the infographic and I'm seeing that Miss a quote. I don't know if you've noticed what I'm sure you have and that we have All the high The states that are above 50 percent In terms of the invalid votes In in the southern part of the country and what trying to create a situation of north versus south here But it's just what I've observed and most of them are in the Niger Delta So we're looking at by also state with sixty seven point one percent invalid registrations Cross river state south south again Fifty one point three percent you have Delta state fifty point one percent and you have river state Fifty three point two percent these are in the south south now one the southeast Which is the second highest a boy state sixty point one percent is anything around surrounding this Well, you know this particular figure represents the figure for the first and second quarter of the registration process the severe process which the first quarter Run from 28th day of June 2021 to 21st day of September 2021 Why the second quarter of the severe run from 4th of October? to 20th December 2021 and ending on this fourth The figure we have as at the 14th January 2022 now We have done the third quarter voters, which is severe and now we are in the fourth quarter. So the figures Keep keep fluctuating, but what is important? What is fundamental and what is troubling is that we have invalid registrations in all parts of the country as the chairman pointed out No part of Nigeria. No state of Nigeria is immune from this voters registration exercise But as you see the voters registration exercise you can see that the figure the figure we have for the second Third quarter is different from the figure We have for the second quarter and it will definitely be different from the figure. We are going to have for the For the fourth quarter for the fourth and last quarter and for this fourth and last quarter We have devolved the registration process to the registration areas And you know we have 8809 registration areas in Nigeria and we are devolving on a rotational basis from one Restoration area or what to do to the other and so the figures we keep on fluctuating and keep on changing But I can watch to be emphasized on what is fundamental and what is valley is the fact that the Invalid registrations cost across all states of Nigeria. Okay. Thank you. Mr. Cui So are you saying that this this figures I'm reading out are for just two quarters or they are for Exactly that just for the first and second quarter We are we are yet to clean up the data for the for the third quarter and the fourth quarter is Presently ongoing and we end on the title day of June 2022. Okay. All right. So this is us at 14th January 2022 Okay, I'm also seeing that we have 2.5 3 or 5 2 3 million registrations Bearing in mind the the population of the country What struck me when I looked at this this these figures in the morning was that I thought it would be higher Yes, that is our expectation, you know, but without sounding pedantic and without being pedantic, you know that Sometimes we Nigeria's we leave everything to the last moment if you go to our registration centers now Especially at the state local government and the and the registration area levels You will see that the search has started because people know that we are in the last quarter of voters registration exercise And I can assure you that when we get to two weeks to the end of this particular exercise You will see a deluge and so it's consistent with the way we do things in this country They in fact that these voters registration exercise has been ongoing for nine months But if you go to the special areas now you will see the surge of people coming to register because we are in the last quarter So I can assure you that this figure will we jump As we proceed them towards the finishing line of this as severe. It's really sad sad reality I mean we're seeing this last-minute attitude with the national identification Number and sim card linkage and we just hope that our compatriots can learn to do things early enough I would I was going to ask, you know, is it an egg is not, you know, enlightening the public enough But I'm aware of the efforts that an egg has made to put information out through different means So I would ask that question. And so why are people still not? Doing the right thing you're talking about those of Losia PVC's going to get new cards Those who have damaged PVC's going to get new cards Those who have a wish to transfer from one place to the other just walking in and doing their registration, you know So what should the right thing? What should be the right thing in these three scenarios so that people do not Keep keep you know putting up putting up invalid registrations. What do they need to do if your? PVC is lost that's number one and you want to you know replace it if you get a new one If your PVC is damaged and you want to get a new one Or if you'd like to transfer you're pulling in it from one location to the other Well, you see you don't really need to do much if you have lost your PVC What you need to do is to get an affiliate from the court indicating that you have lost your PVC And the moment you come with that particular affiliate What we now do is to call up your data because your data already exists on our database We already have your data we call up your data and then input the fight that you have lost your PVC And we schedule you for another permanent voter scan But if you go and start a fresh registration at the end of the day Our cleaning up process will show us that you registered before and we would delete you and Your second registration will be invalid If your PVC has been defaced The only thing you need is to report that your PVC has been defaced and it is no longer readable and it's no longer Usable we will print a new one for you. You really don't need to do anything If you have moved from one state to the other the only thing you need to do is to report that you have moved from one state To the other and that you want to transfer your your pulley unit and your PVC to a new location And we would just transfer you to a new location You don't have to go and begin to carry out registration afresh that you know some Nigerians do not really want to Just go to the court to go and get that particular feed of it and pay the token fee that they normally pay in court And then we also found out that there were some Nigerians that Some couldn't remember which one whether during their previous registration They use their surname first or they use their first name first and so on and so forth So because they couldn't remember they just simply say oh no since I can't remember Let me just go and register first so that I don't engage in Geopardy, but at the end of the day you get into Joe into jeopardy So what you need to do is to go and do the right thing those who we have asked those we have Classified their registrations as invalid. They are previous registrations as the valid So what they need to do is to go back to our annex state or local government office or to the special areas And do the right thing and then we will validate the right thing they have done But if they persist in doing the wrong thing thinking that we are not going to be aware of it our processes have become robust Our identification system identifies both the fingerprint and the facial so no matter how you want to be the system The system will not allow itself to repeat. All right interesting before we go I'd like to bring up the very fortunate development that has emanated in the last few hours in in emo state today with your continuous voter registration exercise We hear some activity some violence in Iheite Obama local government area of emo state Can you tell us what what happened in emo state? Well, I you know That from the 11th day of April This year we devolved the permanent the continuous voter registration exercise To the registration area levels of what you call what what level at on a rotational basis So some of our staff we are doing the CVR in Iheite Obama Local government more particularly in where they call in Iheite in PU004 in Amacahia what are a zero two when They were attacked by some unknown government Unfortunately, one of our staff by name no Korea Anthony Lost lost lost his life in the process. He has been moved to the to the mall and then the remaining two staff That we couldn't locate initially have not been located. They have injuries But I'm very stable condition. So that is the situation as of today and so many of the Potential registrants that we are we are injured in the process. Oh my oh my Consequently we have suspended the registration process in Iheite Obama local government sincere condolences, mr. Koei to to you I neck indeed the family of This this individual on walk Korea Anthony as you said who was shot by gunmen So this is a suspension of the exercise in that local government area or in the entire evil state we suspended the Registration in that particular local government prior to this even proud to this particular period The Commission was not doing CVR in also and also local government and in Japan local government While in the East or West or low and Haji a local government. We are doing the CVR only in our state and local government offices And it's really very very sad development And if you look at the figures that we have been releasing you can see that the figure for him or state It's either the last in the Federation or the second to the last and it's a very very unfortunate Development we feel that people who want to register should be allowed to register and exercise their democratic franchise at the right time Interesting. Thank you very much. First of all, Koei, you definitely will be having you on this program In subsequent weeks as we look at what's happening as we come down towards the 2023 election So thank you and for joining us and for the good work you're doing. I really appreciate this opportunity And thanks for staying with us right here on plus politics to round up today's show Nigerians tell us their opinions on Bola app it in a ball running for presidency plus politics returns tomorrow. I'm Kofi Bartels. Good night Hey, it's majority that can carry default. Not only me We should run for the president. I Don't think Anybody needs but There's going to be an issue most especially legal states wish I know The capital it unknown capital it are noting no option for him to run Still same people same You still gonna take us back So we just want to move forward. There's a lot of youth That can rule the state and I can make things Happen better. There are at least a lot of youth Tunnel as rule legal state I Mean I believe my in my own opinion. I believe you want to go up there again, but Is it's all that's always all the ready let the youth This one of the youth rule laws and let's see how the difference between the youth and the adult Yes, I mean to move around for presidency. It's from Nigeria. So we have everybody rise to run So the power depend on you if you like you can vote for him if you like