VOTERS REGISTRATION EXERCISE

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hereby reassures all Nigerians that the Voters Registration exercise scheduled for 15^th to 29^th January, 2011 remains firmly on course.
This reassurance is necessary against the backdrop of the theft of some Direct Data Capture machines at the Lagos airport.
A consignment of 20 machines was stolen on Tuesday, out of a total of 6,000 brought into the country by Zinox Technologies Ltd., the contractor. Sixteen of these have been recovered by Thursday afternoon, and security agents are working assiduously to recover the four outstanding and apprehend the culprits. Besides, there are adequate safety features to forestall any nefarious use of the stolen items; as such, the integrity of the electoral processes would not be compromised.
Furthermore, INEC has been assured of intensified safeguards against further breaches.
The Commission uses this opportunity to urge all eligible Nigerians to turn out for the planned voter registration in January, and to work with INEC for the attainment of free, fair and credible elections in 2011.