KANO UNDERAGE VOTING: Kenya claim hangs over INEC committee as it submits report

The eight-man committee set up by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate cases of alleged underage voting in Kano local government election has submitted its report to the commission four weeks after its inauguration.

This was made known in a statement signed by Rotimi Oyekanmi, press secretary to INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.

The report was received by the chairman of the commission.

INEC had set up the committee, chaired by Abubakar Nahuche, to probe allegations of underage voting in the Kano election on February 21, and was given a deadline of two weeks to turn in their report.

The committee, according to the chairman, was not to investigate the outcome of the election but the allegation of underage voters who voted using the commission’s register.

Read also: KANO UNDERAGE VOTING: INEC says viral pictures of child voters are from Kenya

However, even before completing its work, the credibility of the committee was called to question when the chairman, Nahuche, had on March 2, concluded that the viral pictures purportedly from the election were actually from Kenya.

He had said, “From the interaction with civil society organisations and media, no evidence of underage voting has been presented,” he said.

“We have discussed with you media men, but none of you said he saw any underage voter in the line on election day.

“All what we saw were from social media and they are not verifiable… some of them (pictures and videos) are not even from Nigeria, some are from Kenya elections but people are attributing them to Nigeria.”

Nahuche’s statement had provoked widespread reaction, with many accusing INEC and his committee of cover-up.

Following the submission of the report, the statement from Mahmoud’s office read, “The Committee, chaired by National Commissioner, Abubakar Nahuche has completed its assignment and today, 23rd March, 2018 submitted its report.

“Chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, who received the report, said the Commission would consider and share the details with the public in due course.”

 

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