The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set the deadline for registration to tomorrow Tuesday 30th July 2024, urged political parties to upload the details of their polling agents on the dedicated portal ahead of the forthcoming Edo and Ondo Governorship elections.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made this call on Monday during the third regular quarterly consultative meeting with political parties in year 2024.
According to INEC Chairman, 14 political parties have so far uploaded the details of 38,354 polling agents and 819 collation agents for the Edo State Governorship election, while three parties are yet to upload a single polling agent and five parties have not uploaded agents for Ward, Local Government and State collation centers.
.Yakubu urged political parties to meet the deadline of Tuesday, July 30, when the portal automatically shuts down at midnight, to enable the commission produce accreditation tags and deliver them to their agents in good time.
“As the Edo State Governorship approaches, I wish to remind leaders of political parties of your obligation to submit the list of your agents by uploading the required information, including photographs, to the dedicated portal. This requirement is listed as item 9 on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election released by the Commission nearly a year ago on 26th September 2023.
“As at yesterday, Sunday 28th July 2024, 14 political parties have uploaded the details of 38,354 polling agents and 819 collation agents for the Edo State Governorship election. Three parties are yet to upload a single polling agent while five parties have not uploaded a single agent for Ward, Local Government and State collation centers.
“The deadline is tomorrow Tuesday 30th July 2024 when the portal automatically shuts down at midnight. I urge you to ensure that you meet the deadline so that the Commission can produce the accreditation tags and deliver them to you for distribution to your agents in good time,” Yakubu said.
The INEC chairman also reminded political parties that campaign is in full swing, and urged them to demonstrate compliance with the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022, especially the aspect dealing with rallies, processions, and campaigns.
Furthermore, Yakubu expressed concern over the recent event in Edo State resulting in the death of a security personnel during a political rally and assured that security will be a major issue for discussion at an upcoming meeting with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
“The campaign period has often been characterised by acrimony and tension. Sadly, it is also a period of verbal abuse and physical confrontation among parties, candidates and their supporters. The Commission finds the recent event in Edo State resulting in the death of a security personnel worrisome. Happily, there has been no incident known to the Commission since then.
“Nevertheless, the Commission will meet with the security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
On bye-election, INEC Chairman said; “you may recall that at our last meeting, I informed you of the existence of vacancies in four States, involving three State Constituencies and one Federal Constituency.
Addressing leaders of political parties at INEC's quarterly consultative meeting, the
National Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yusuf Maman Dantalle criticized the existing SIECs, describing them as ineffective and detrimental to democratic processes.
He argued that these commissions lack essential electoral infrastructure, such as voter registers and trained personnel, and are responsible for flawed and non-transparent elections that contribute to public distrust and voter apathy.
He therefore called for a significant overhaul in the management of local government elections, advocating for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replace State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) in conducting these elections.
Dantalle highlighted recent financial autonomy granted to local governments as a positive development but emphasized that this alone is not sufficient. He argued that INEC, which has demonstrated its capability in managing elections, including the recent FCT Area Councils elections, should be entrusted with overseeing all local government polls.
IPAC is pushing for constitutional and electoral reforms to transfer local election responsibilities from SIECs to INEC. They are opposed to a proposed bill for a new Local Government Independent Electoral Commission, which they view as another ineffective and costly attempt to manage local elections.
Dantalle’s speech also emphasized the need for credible, transparent, and inclusive elections at all levels to restore public confidence in the electoral process. He linked the success of upcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo States to the broader goal of ensuring electoral integrity and political stability in Nigeria.
