The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has organised a 2 day Training which commenced, Tuesday 31st May, 2022 for Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) on Polling and Counting Procedures in Preparation for EKITI STATE GOVERNORSHIP Election scheduled to hold on the 18th of June, 2022.
The 2 day Training which commenced, Tuesday 31st May, 2022 was organized by the Electoral Institute with the objective that at the end of the training, participants should demonstrate the ability to organize and conduct training on Polling and Counting and effectively perform the electoral functions of SPOs in line with the New Regulation and Guidelines for the conduct of Elections, 2022.
The Chairman, Board of Electoral Institute (BEI) Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru in his Opening remarks, stated that quality and effective training of Election personnel is a prerequisite to the conduct of free, fair, credible and Inclusive election.
Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru said the Ekiti Governorship Election will serve as a litmus test to the Commission's readiness to conduct the 2023 General Elections and urged the electorates to acquaint themselves with the technology driven initiatives introduced into the processes and procedures of Election Day activities.
In his welcome remarks, the Hon. Resident Electoral Commissioner INEC Ekiti State, Dr. Tella Adeniran, who was represented by the Administrative Secretary of the State urged the participants not to view the training as familiar as there's always something new to learn, reiterating the need to accord the training a high sense of seriousness as the training will mark the beginning of the training of the Adhoc staff that will be deployed for the Election.
He noted that Elections in Ekiti State is always peaceful and holds a record of the first state to submit Election result in a General Election.
In hi goodwill message, the Director General TEI, Dr. Sa'ad Umar Idris who was represented by the Director, Training, Dr. Binta Kasim Mohammed, welcomed all participants and advised them to be non partisan in the discharge of their duties.
He charged participants to ask questions where necessary, highlighting the importance of the training so as to ensure quality step down of the training for Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs).
The Training will highlight among others; the technology driven initiatives introduced by the Commission into the Electoral process to ensure transparency and credibility of election such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System device (BVAS) for accreditation of Voters and the use of iREV (INEC Result viewing portal) in the Upload of Polling Unit Results (scanned form EC 8A) for Public View.
The SPOs will also be exposed to INEC Security Alert and Notification System (INEC-SANS) application designed to provide real time notification on threats and violence against INEC staff on Election duty or INEC Offices & facilities.
The Director, Research and Documentation, Dr. Ibrahim Sani and other Management Staff of the Ekiti State, INEC office witnessed the opening of the Training including HODs E- Operations and Legal departments.