Chairman of the Indepedent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has again expressed strong dissaffection over the failure by election monitoring groups to submit reports of their findings and recommendations to the Commission.
Speaking on Tuesday at a Consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations, the INEC Chairman warned that observer groups which reneged on mandatory submissions of their reports would be denied accreditation in forthcoming elections.
He said: “As we inch closer to Election Day in Edo State, it is also imperative to remind CSOs of the need to submit your applications for election observation in earnest along with the required supporting documents and a realistic number of individual observers. Doing so will enable the Commission to produce and deliver the identity cards for observers in good time. The Commission will not entertain requests outside the deadline for the receipt of applications from interested observer groups or process applications that do not meet the criteria.
“For emphasis, submission of reports from previous accreditation in the manner required by the Commission is mandatory for continuous participation in election observation. Since our last meeting two months ago, many accredited observers have submitted their reports but a few are yet to do so. We urge you to do the needful. Your reports are important for us in reviewing and improving our processes and procedures.”
Professor Yakubu also informed the CSOs of pending off-season elections in three State Assembly constituencies and one Federal Constituency in four States across the country.
“As soon as preparations are concluded, the Commission will announce the dates for bye-elections in Khana 2 State Constituency of Rivers State, the Bagwai/Shanono State constituency of Kano State, the Zaria Kewaye State Constituency of Kaduna State and the Garki/Babura Federal Constituency of Jigawa State.”
He appealed to the CSOs to collaborate with INEC to make a success of the Continuous Voters Registration to be conducted in Edo and Ondo states ahead of the September and November governorship elections in the two states.
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“The Commission has concluded plans to resume the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the two States to enable eligible citizens who are not registered voters to do so. Similarly, those who are registered voters also have the opportunity to transfer their registration from other States of the Federation to Edo and Ondo States or from one location to another within the states. Lost or damaged voter’ cards will be replaced during the exercise. The CVR will take place simultaneously in the two States from Monday 27th May 2024 to Wednesday 5th June 2024, between 9.00am and 3.00pm daily including the weekend. Let me reiterate that the CVR is only open to new registrants and those who seek to transfer their registration. Persons who are registered as voters should not attempt to register again as double or multiple registration is illegal.
“Taking into consideration the limited time to the Governorship elections, the Commission has decided to conduct the registration at Ward level and our State headquarters instead of our Local Government offices and a few designated centers as was the case in the past. This means that there will be 192 Ward registration centres in Edo State and 203 centres in Ondo State in addition to our State offices in Benin City and Akure, making a total of 397 walk-in registration centres in the two States. There will be no online pre-registration option in the two States because of time constraint. Each centre will be managed by two officials drawn from our regular staff and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In the next few days, the Commission will commence the training of at least 794 officials for the exercise. The locations of the registration centres as well as other relevant information have been compiled in a detailed 28-page document included in your folders for this meeting. The same information has already been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information.
“The Commission, therefore, appeals to CSOs to join us in mobilising prospective registrants for the exercise, particularly on the need to register early and not wait until the deadline approaches when the registration centres will be inundated by eleventh-hour registrants.”
