Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said that Nigeria has over 10 million registered voters more than the other 14 countries in the West Africa sub region.
Prof Yakubu, who spoke when the EU Ambassador and Head of the Union’s Delegation to Nigeria and West Africa, Amb. Samuela Isopi visited the commission, said while the other 14 countries have a total registered voters of 74 million, Nigeria has over 93 million registered voters as at the 2023 general elections.
He said while the commission registered about 119,000 voters in Edo and about 55,000 in Ondo during the last Continuous Voter Registration, Ghana only registered about 70,000 during its last CVR.
The INEC boss said the commission will continue to work in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to improve the nation’s electoral process and deepen democracy in the country.
Yakubu said conducting a general election in Nigeria was like holding an election for the whole of West Africa and part of Central Africa, saying “there are 74 million registered voters in West Africa. In 2023, we have 93 million registered workers in Nigeria, which is almost 10 million more than the other 14 countries put together.
“So each time Nigerians go to the polls, it’s like conducting elections for the whole of West Africa and part of Central Africa.
“In fact, recently, the Electoral Commission in Ghana conducted the equivalent of what we call the Continuous Voter Registration. In Ghana, they call it a mock-up to enable citizens who have come of age or those who could not register for one reason or another in the past to register.
“One of the targets of the Electoral Commission in Ghana was to register 70,000 new voters nationwide. But here, in the last Continuous Voter Registration in Edo State alone, we registered 119,000 new voters. The additional 55,000 in Ondo State, put together, we registered 177,000. Three times more than what our colleagues in Ghana hoped to register under their own CVR,” he said.
He recalled the good working relationship with the EU as he personally worked with Santiago Pisas who was Head of the EU delegation and observation mission to Nigeria in 2015.
Isopi, who will be leaving the country after the end of her tenure on Friday, said supporting democracy in Africa and West Africa now was more important than ever given the backsliding bein witnessed in many parts of the region.
She described Nigeria as the largest democracy on the African continent and one of the largest democracies, stating the EU knows how important it was to continue to support the country in its journey towards the strengthening of her democracy.
“All democracies in the world, including our own, face challenges. The journey is not necessarily always in one direction. We all face these challenges. And we have an interest in working together to see how we can strengthen democracy because strengthening democracy in Europe, strengthening democracy in Nigeria means strengthening democracy worldwide.
“We know how important the example that Nigeria can give to other countries here. As I said, I think we have gone a long way. Maybe not everything is perfect, but even elsewhere, many things are not perfect.
“I couldn’t leave without saying a farewell visit to Mr. Chairman and without saying a farewell visit to INEC which is part, as you know, of the European Union’s main partner here in Nigeria,” Isopi noted. (Nation)