Low voter registration may hurt democratic process — Okoye

A former national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, in this interview, cautioned that low voter registration and apathy could hurt the electoral process and give an impression of democratic rejection and regression. Stressing the importance of the ongoing voter registration exercise, he also discussed the challenges of cleaning up the […]

A former national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, in this interview, cautioned that low voter registration and apathy could hurt the electoral process and give an impression of democratic rejection and regression. Stressing the importance of the ongoing voter registration exercise, he also discussed the challenges of cleaning up the electoral register.

 

Why is continuous voter registration critical to Nigeria’s electoral process?

Continuous voter registration is critical because the voters’ register is the cornerstone of the electoral process. An individual cannot be in the electoral web unless registered as a voter. Those who have turned 18 must be registered to vote. They are constitutionally entitled to exercise their democratic choices. Those who have never registered are entitled to register.  It is critical and affords Nigerians the opportunity to partake in the democratic process. An opaque register cannot produce a free, fair and credible election.

 

Do you think INEC has done enough to mobilise people?

Mobilisation for voter registration is a multi-stakeholders’ responsibility. The media, civil society, professional associations and the political parties have a responsibility to assist in voter mobilisation. The duality of online and physical registration has alleviated the stress in the registration process. The commission must utilise the services of the media, traditional and religious leaders, youth groups and the social media in reaching a broad spectrum of our people.

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What are the implications of people failing to register?

Voter registration is a voluntary civic responsibility. Registration is at the discretion of those qualified to register. Those who are not happy with our democratic journey may abstain from registration and cannot be compelled to register.

Low voter registration and turnout may hurt the democratic process and give the impression of democratic rejection or regression. Those in power must accelerate development and show the Nigerian people that there is no alternative to democracy.

 

Nigerians have raised concerns that the voter register may still contain names of deceased persons. How clean is the register at the moment? What modalities or technology is INEC currently deploying to clean up the register and ensure that only eligible, living voters remain on it?

As you are aware, the Independent National Electoral Commission commenced online and physical voter registration on August 18 and 25, 2025. After the second week of online pre-registration and one week of in-person registration, the commission registered 2,532,062 citizens. The gender breakdown shows 1,218,482 (48.12%) males and 1,313,580 (51.88%) females, with young Nigerians of 18 to 34 years accounting for 1,602,484 (63.29%). This registration figure shows that Nigerians remain engaged in the electoral process.

It is a fact that the names of deceased persons are on the voters’ register. The removal of deceased persons’ names from the voters’ register is cumbersome. The National Population Commission (NPC) is responsible for the data on births and deaths. Unfortunately, few Nigerians report deaths when they occur or file a report to the appropriate agency of government, which is the NPC.

The commission cannot unilaterally remove the names of persons from the voters’ register. During the display of the register for claims and objections pursuant to section 19 of the Electoral Act, 2022, a few Nigerians reported deaths; and this makes it difficult to remove names from the register. The commission sometimes relies on obituaries in newspapers to remove the names of prominent Nigerians who have passed on.

Nigerians must voluntarily report deaths to the agency responsible for keeping records of births and deaths and the commission will collaborate with them and legally remove such names. Nigerians must patriotically embrace clean and transparent elections, and on their own, report the passing of their loved ones during the display of the register for claims and objections.

I suggest that despite elections being a voluntary exercise, the commission should comprehensively review the register after three to four electoral cycles and remove the names of those with no evidence of participation. This will require constitutional and legal backing.

The commission does not pretend to have a perfect register. The register is a work in progress and must be updated and cleaned up.  In the continuous voter registration (CVR) conducted from June 28, 2021 to July 31, 2022, out of the 9,518,188 valid registrants, youths between the ages of 18 and 34 accounted for 7,286,871(76.56%).

The commission introduced the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to remove multiple and duplicate registrants. Using the technology, the commission removed a total of 2,780,756 duplicates and multiple registrants of 12,298,944 registrants who completed their registration. All Nigerians must commit to a clean register.

 

After the outcome of the 2023 elections, it appears the enthusiasm of Nigerians in the electoral process waned, especially following the glitches in the upload of results on the IREV. This could affect the eagerness of Nigerians to line up for another registration. How can INEC instill confidence in the electoral process again to awaken the enthusiasm of prospective voters?

Democracy is not a hundred-meter dash. Democracy must be cultivated and nurtured. The operators must develop the democratic spirit and play by the rules of the game. Elections and the electoral process are complex; and for free, fair and credible elections, all the critical stakeholders must work collectively.

From the ongoing online and physical registration, the young people of Nigeria are enthusiastic and have faith in the electoral process.  Nigerians must engage in electoral mandate protection initiatives and insist that the votes of the people must count.

Furthermore, Nigerians must understand electoral terminology and their place in the electoral process. The casting and collation of votes are clearly spelt out in the constitution and the electoral act.  The collation process is manual. The IREV is not part of the collation process but designed for openness and transparency. Therefore, all hands must be on deck.

Moreover, it is the political actors who employ thugs, use violence and subterfuge to mess up our electoral process. The political elite must turn over a new leaf and allow the electoral process to grow and mature.

 

What key reforms would you advise INEC to carry out before the next elections to improve the outcome of the electoral process in the country?

Reforms alone cannot transform the electoral process. There have been cyclical reforms and amendments to the constitutional and electoral framework, yet the process is far from complete. The political class must develop the democratic spirit; and there must be a democratic attitudinal revolution. They must trust the Nigerian people to make the right choices and decisions. They must on no account attempt to replace the will of the people with their own preconceived conceptions and ideas. In other words, they must shun the snatching of ballots, stuffing of ballots, vote-buying and other unwholesome practices. Unless we reform the political disposition of the political elite, our electoral process may still face challenges.

 

There are reports that the South-West is recording more numbers than other zones; what could be responsible?

It is too early in the process to make deductions or assumptions. The electoral management body has the capacity and mechanism to detect duplicate and multiple registrations. What is needed at the moment is intense voter education and mobilisation. People must understand that those who have registered previously must not register again. Those who lost their PVC or whose PVCs are defaced can request a replacement and must not register again. Those who have transferred from one place to another can request a transfer and should not register afresh. We must also look at the pattern of previous CVR, and it will be clear that some states engage in better mobilisation than others. The CVR is not a census; and people must not destroy their chances through multiple and duplicate registrations.