The independent National Electoral Commission has the power to prepare and maintain the register of.____

1. Analyze the question The question asks which register INEC is empowered to prepare and maintain. Note that "register" is a clue: a register is a list of people.

2. Explain the concept INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) is the body that conducts elections in Nigeria. Under the 1999 Constitution (Third Schedule, Part I, Paragraph 15) and the Electoral Act, its functions include:

• Organizing, undertaking and supervising all elections
• Registering political parties
• Monitoring the organization and operation of political parties
• Arranging for the registration of persons qualified to vote, and preparing, maintaining and revising the register of voters
• Delimiting constituencies (the Constitution has since moved this role in some respects, but it is not described as maintaining a "register" of constituencies)

3. Step-by-step solution

• A. Electoral candidates: INEC receives nominations from parties and publishes lists of candidates, but it does not maintain a register of them.
• B. Constituencies: Constituencies are delimited or demarcated, not "registered."
• C. Political parties: INEC does register political parties, but the power in the Constitution is described as "registering political parties," while the "register" it prepares and maintains is the voters' register. This option is the closest distractor.
• D. Voters: The Constitution specifically says INEC has the power to "arrange for the registration of persons qualified to register as voters and to maintain the register of voters for the purpose of the election." This matches the wording of the question exactly.

4. Answer The correct option is D. Voters.

5. Exam tip When you see "prepare and maintain the register of...", think voters (the voters' register). Remember INEC's pair of functions: it registers parties and registers voters. But the phrase "prepare and maintain" is tied to the register of voters.