INEC to begin voter registration in 2021

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said on Wednesday the commission would begin another round of voter registration in the first quarter of 2021.

Yakubu disclosed this to journalists shortly after appearing before the Senate Committee on INEC to defend the commission’s 2021 budget.

He said the voter registration exercise would run till six months before 2023 general elections.

The INEC chairman said: “We will resume voter registration in the first quarter of 2021. And once we resume, it will be continuous for one- and- half years at least until six months to the next general election.”

He also revealed that the commission is currently involved in about 1,700 pre-election and post-election court cases from the 2019 general elections.

He, however, said the commission is not paying huge legal fees but applying the Federal Ministry of Justice scale of fees.

“For instance, if we have a case for governorship election before the Supreme Court, it is a maximum of N4.5 million, but because of the number of cases, we are almost getting close to 1,700 pre-election and post-election cases in 2019 alone.

“Every day you hear people going to court and joining INEC, but we will continue to do what we can within available resources,” Yakubu added.