Underage Voting: Disregard ‘No Evidence’ Report, Says INEC

Says c’ttee yet to finish or submit fact-finding report

The National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on Nigerians to disregard an earlier report credited to the factfinding committee chairman that there were no evidence of underage voting in the last Kano council polls.

The Commission also said its investigation into the alleged underage voting in the council poll was still ongoing, and therefore there was no basis to have concluded on its outcome.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had set up the committee following public outcry that greeted videos and photos of underage voting believed to be during the Kano election. The Committee, which commenced last week is to submit its report.

But Nigerians were shocked when the chairman of the committee, Abubakar Nahuce, was quoted to have told journalists in Kano on Friday, that from their interaction with civil society organisations and media, none presented evidence of underage voting.

“From all what we have seen and discussed with you media men, none of you has seen any underage voter in the line or voting,” Nahuce was quoted to have said.

Responding to THISDAY inquiries yesterday, the INEC Director for Voters Education and Publicity (VEP), Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, dismissed the report as not possible.

Osaze-Uzzi called for such conclusions to be disregarded as the Panel is just only three days within their stipulated time frame with investigations still ongoing.

“The Commission has not completed their assignment and has not also submitted their report. So this should be disregarded as they have only completed three days,” he said.

Also speaking, a member of the fact-finding Committee and INEC Commissioner from Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini told THISDAY that the Committee Chairman might have been quoted out of context. “We were given two weeks and have had only three days, so we have not even completed our work; let alone to submit to the Commission,” he said.