INEC Registering Foreigners From Niger To Vote In 2019 - Southern,m'belt Leaders

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders' Forum has claimed that the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has embarked on
illegal registration of foreigners, mostly from Niger Republic, in order to
manipulate the outcome of the 2019 elections.
The Forum raised alarm via a communique issued to Journalists on
Sunday, alleging that the foreigners could be the reason why the
government was in a haste to construct a rail from Kano, through
Dambatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina, Jibia and terminate in Maradi
in the Niger Republic.
The communiqué titled, “Our case against 2019 elections preparations”
was signed by Yinka Odumakin (South-West); Senator Bassey Henshaw
(South-South); Prof. Chigozie Ogbu (South-East) and Dr Isuwa Dogo
( Middle Belt).
They expressed concern over the 2019 elections and restated their lack
of confidence in the INEC chairman “whose conduct over the scandal of
underage voters in Kano has shown a gross betrayal of public trust.”
The communique read; “Equally worrisome is the intelligence report at
our disposal that a large number of mercenary voters have been
registered from neighbouring countries especially from Niger Republic
under the continuous voter registration which could have been one of the
reasons why the Federal Government is in a haste to construct a rail
from Kano, through Dambatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina, Jibia and
terminate in Maradi, Niger Republic. Money has been appropriated for
this in the 2018 budget.”
“Five clear months after the promise and prompt conclusion of the
assignment by the team he set up, the INEC chairman has refused to
release the report which would necessarily have necessitated a
nationwide interrogation of the voter registry.
“Information at our disposal is that the report of the committee is so
damning and that is the reason why he is doing a macabre dance on it.
How on earth can we trust a man doing such over an issue of public
knowledge to be fair on matters relating to free and fair elections that
would not be in the public glare?
“We demand the immediate release of the INEC report on the Kano
underage voter’s scandal and interrogation of the voter registry by a
judicial commission with representatives from international and local
elections observers to check cases of underage voters and foreign
mercenaries before the 2019 elections. This is very necessary as INEC
cannot be a judge in its own case.”