Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the federal high court in Abuja, has mandated INEC to identify officials involved in registering underage voters within 90 days.
The judge also instructed that these individuals be handed over to law enforcement agencies for investigation and potential prosecution.
Furthermore, the commission is ordered to promptly remove names of underage voters from its national register and provide the plaintiff with a certified true copy (CTC) of the cleaned-up voters’ register within the stipulated time frame.
Background
On March 17, Mike Agbon, filed a lawsuit against INEC marked FHC/ABJ/CS/367/2023.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiff claimed that the lack of credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process has significantly troubled the political landscape.
Agbon stated that before the 2023 general election, the electoral commission conducted Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) nationwide and exhibited the national register of voters on its website from November 12, 2022, to November 25, 2022.
He pointed out that upon reviewing the national voter registration database, he discovered that the commission had registered underage voters, a clear violation of the Electoral Act, which outlines registration requirements in detail.
The plaintiff supported his argument with compiled copies from the INEC website showcasing the underage registrations, marked as “Exhibit.”
Agbon, through his lawyer, formally requested the commission to provide him with the list and names of underage and ineligible voters, but the commission vehemently refused and ignored the application.
Despite being served with court processes and hearing notices, INEC neither appeared in court nor submitted any defense.
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Court’s decision
Delivering judgment, Justice Egwuatu ruled in favor of the plaintiff and to identify officials involved in registering underage voters within 90 days.
He said “As I have found earlier in this judgment, the voters registered by the defendant in Exhibit ‘A’ are underage, that is, they have not attained the age of 18 years,”
“What this translates into is that the registration officers and an update officers of the defendant failed in their duties to carry out the registration of voters in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.”
Consequently, he ordered INEC to ordered to promptly remove names of underage voters from its national register.