As the Edo governorship election approaches in just 22 days, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has voiced its disappointment regarding the failure of political parties to adhere to the nomination procedures for polling and collation agents.
In a recent statement, the electoral body highlighted that, after discussions with political parties, it had transitioned from a manual submission process for agent lists to a digital platform.
Additionally, the commission noted that it had implemented similar changes for the accreditation of observers and media organizations, following consultations with relevant stakeholders.
During an extraordinary meeting held on Thursday in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, elaborated on the new digital system known as INECPRES, which replaces the traditional method of hiring ad hoc staff.
He pointed out that these processes are now streamlined through various dedicated online portals.
Yakubu remarked, “However, upon reviewing the information submitted regarding polling and collation agents for the Edo State election, we identified compliance issues concerning the quality of uploads, especially regarding the images of agents at the Polling Unit, Ward, and Local Government levels.
“This issue is prevalent across all political parties, despite this not being the first occurrence.
“In line with our established protocols for major elections, we have conducted training sessions for officials nominated by the parties and established a Help Desk to assist any political party in need of support.
“I want to make it clear that there will be no reverting to the manual submission process. It is a thing of the past. Observer groups and media organizations are already adhering to the new digital requirements.
“Political parties cannot expect to be treated differently. You must fulfill your obligations instead of continuously lamenting about the inadequacies in the number of accreditation tags provided for your agents.
“We will only issue tags for submissions that comply with our established regulations and guidelines. The Commission insists that your agents at Polling Units and Collation Centres must be identified by name, with their photographs prominently displayed on their accreditation tags, duly authorized by us.
“We have also included a QR Code on each tag to facilitate easy authentication and verification of your agents at the polling and collation centres. We will address any issues arising from the recent uploads in this meeting.”
