Section 16-23 Nigerian Electoral Act 2022
Section 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 of the Nigerian Electoral Act 2022, among others, are under Part III of the Act. Part III is titled NATIONAL REGISTER OF VOTERS AND VOTERS’ REGISTRATION.
Section 16 Nigeria Electoral Act 2022
Power to print or issue voters card
(1) The Commission shall design, cause to be printed and control the issuance of voters’ cards to voters whose names appear in the register.
(2) No voter shall hold more than one valid voters’ card.
(3) Any person who contravenes subsection (2) commits an offence and is liable on conviction, to a fine not more than N500,000 or imprisonment for a term not more than one year or both.
(4) The Commission may, whenever it considers it necessary, replace all or any voters’ cards for the time being held by voters.
Section 17 Nigeria Electoral Act 2022
Custody of voters’ register
Each electoral officer shall take custody of the voters register for his or her Local Government Area or Area Council under the general supervision of the Resident Electoral Commissioner
Section 18 Nigeria Electoral Act 2022
Power to issue replacement permanent voters’ cards
(1) Whenever a voter’s card is lost, destroyed, defaced, tom or otherwise damaged, the owner of such card shall, not less than 90 days before polling day, apply in person to the electoral officer or any other officer duly authorised for that purpose by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, stating the circumstances of the loss, destruction, defacement or damage.
(2) Where the electoral officer or any other officer is satisfied as to the circumstances of loss, destruction, defacement or damage of the voter’s card, he or she shall issue to the voter a replacement permanent voter’s card.
(3) No person shall issue a replacement permanent voter’s card to any voter less than 90 days before polling day.
(4) Where the electoral officer or any other officer is satisfied as to the circumstances of the loss, destruction, defacement or damage of the voter’s card, he or she shall issue to the voter another copy of the voter’s original voter’s card with the word
“REPLACEMENT” clearly marked or printed on it, showing the date of issue.
(5) Any person who contravenes subsection (3) commits an offence and is liable on
conviction, to a fine not more than N200,000 or imprisonment for a term not more
than two years or both.
Section 19 Nigeria Electoral Act 2022
Display of the copies of the voters’ list
(1) Subject to the provisions of section 9 (5) of this Act, the Commission shall, not later than 90 days to a general election, appoint a period of seven days during which a copy of the voters’ register for each Local Government, Area Council or Ward shall be displayed or published for public scrutiny at every registration area and on its official website or any website established by the Commission for that purpose.
(2) Upon displaying or publishing the voters register in accordance with this section, the Commission shall accept and consider objections and complaints in relation to the names omitted or included in the voters’ register or in relation to any necessary
correction, within 14 days after displaying the voters register in accordance with this section.
(3) During the period of the display of the voters’ list under this Act, any person may —
(a) raise an objection on the form prescribed by the Commission against the inclusion in the supplementary voters’ register of the name of a person on grounds that the person is not qualified to be registered as a voter in the State, Local Government or Area Council, Ward or registration area or that the name of a deceased person is included in the register; or
(b) make a claim on the form prescribed by the Commission that the name of a person registered to vote has been omitted.
(4) Any objection or claim under subsection (2) shall be addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner through the electoral officer in charge of the Local Government or Area Council.
(5) An official or staff of the Commission, who fails to display or publish the voters’ register as provided under subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or imprisonment for a term of six months or both.
Section 20 Nigeria Electoral Act 2022
Revision officer for hearing of claims
(1) The Commission may appoint as a Revision Officer any person to hear and determine claims for and objection to any entry in or omission from the preliminary list of voters and may appoint such number of other persons as it deems necessary to assist the Revision Officer.
(2) Any person dissatisfied with the determination by a Revision Officer or person or persons assisting a Revision Officer of his or her claims or objection as mentioned in subsection (1), shall within seven days, appeal against the decision to the Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of that State whose decision shall be
final.
Section 21 Nigeria Electoral Act 2022
Proprietary rights in the voters’ card
The proprietary rights in any voters’ card issued to any voter shall vest in the
Commission.
Section 22 Nigeria Electoral Act 2022
Offences of buying and selling voters’ cards
Any person who —
(a) is in unlawful possession of any voter’s card whether issued in the name of any voter or not; or
(b) sells or attempts to sell or offers to sell any voter’s card whether issued in the name of any voter or not; or
(c) buys or offers to buy any voters’ card whether on his own behalf or on behalf of any other person, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not more than N500,000 or imprisonment not more than two years or both.
Section 23 Nigeria Electoral Act 2022
Offences relating to register of voters
(1) Any person who –
(a) after demand or requisition made of him or her under this Act without just cause, fails to give any such information as he or she possesses or does not give the information within the time specified;
(b) in the name of any other person, whether living, dead or fictitious, signs an application form for registration as a voter to have that other person registered as a voter;
(c) transmits or is involved in transmitting to any person as genuine a declaration relating to registration which is false in any material particular, knowing it to
be false;
(d) intentionally procures the inclusion in the Register of Voters of his or herself or any other person with the knowledge that he or she or that other person ought not to have been registered; or
(e) by his or herself or any other person procures the registration of a fictitious person, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not more than N100,000 or imprisonment for a term not more than one year or both.
(2) Any person who –
(a) by duress, including threats of any kind causes or induces any person or persons generally to refrain from registering as a voter or voters; or Proprietary rights in
the voters’ card Offences of buying and selling voters’ cards Offences relating to register of voters
(b) in any way hinders another person from registering as a voter; commits an offence and is liable on conviction, to a fine not more than N500,000 or imprisonment for a term not more than five years.
See also:
Section 9-15 Nigeria Electoral Act 2022
