The Independent National Electoral Commission has been ordered by the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to produce staff registering underage voters.
The election umpire was given 90 days to produce the official indulging in the registration of underage Nigerians to vote in an election.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a judgment, also directed the culprits to be produced and handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation and possible prosecution.
Mr Egwuatu equally made a mandatory order, compelling INEC to expunge forthwith from its national voter register the names of all the underage voters from each of the polling units across the federation published on her website as identified and compiled by the plaintiff in ‘Exhibit A’ attached to the affidavit in support of the originating summons, according to Peoples Gazette.
The judge further made a mandatory order, compelling the commission to furnish the plaintiff with a certified true copy of the cleaned-up national voters’ register of all the persons eligible to vote in Nigeria within 90 days.
Alternatively, he ordered the electoral umpire to publish the cleaned-up national voters’ register of all the persons eligible to vote in the country on its website within 90 days from the date of the judgement.
He also answered the six questions posed by the plaintiff in the positive.
The plaintiff, Rev. Mike Agbon, in the originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/367/2023 filed on Match 17 through his lawyer, Desmond Yamah, had sued INEC as the sole defendant.
In the suit, the plaintiff posed six questions for determination, including “whether the defendant is constitutionally and legally obligated to conduct credible CVR in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Whether the defendant is bound by the constitution and its enabling statute, the Electoral Act, 2022, to act in strict compliance with the provisions of the constitution and its enabling act; Whether, under Section 23 of the Electoral Act, 2022, it is illegal and unlawful for the defendant to have registered underage, i.e., infants and toddlers, during the CVR.
