The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Osun State, on Monday said it refused to register some underage secondary school students brought for voters card registration in Ede North local government area of Osun State.
The social media was awash over the weekend as image surfaced showing some students with school uniform at one of the voters registration point in Ede. The picture was said to have been taken on Friday.
Reacting to the outcry, INEC in a statement by Musa Olurode, its public relations officer, admitted the presence of the students but said the commission refused to register them in line with extant laws guiding election in the country.
The statement reads, “The Commission wishes to categorically refute this allegation as false and misleading. While it is correct that some students of YTD Grammar School, Ojoro Ede, Osun State in uniforms were brought to INEC Ede North Local Government Office on the said date with the intention of registering, the Electoral Officer and other officials on duty, acting in strict compliance with the law, refused them entry into the office premises. Consequently, no underage person was registered.
“INEC reiterates that, in line with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022, only Nigerian citizens who have attained the age of 18 years are eligible to be registered as voters. The Commission’s officials are under clear instructions to enforce this provision without exception.
“The Commission assures the good people of Osun State that INEC Osun State, under the leadership of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, will not engage in, condone, or permit any action capable of compromising the credibility and integrity of the voter registration process.
“INEC, therefore urges members of the public to disregard the said social media post and to rely on information from official INEC Osun State communication channels for accurate and verified updates on its activities.”
The Commission also calls on stakeholders, including parents, guardians, school authorities, and community leaders, to support INEC by sensitizing young persons on the legal requirements for voter registration.
INEC said it remains committed to conducting all its statutory responsibilities “with transparency, professionalism, and strict adherence to the law.”
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