As the Edo State Governorship election approaches, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a transparent and technologically advanced electoral process. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, addressed leaders of political parties at an extraordinary meeting in Abuja, stressing the importance of adhering to the Commission’s new digital systems and outlining the critical steps taken to guarantee a credible election.
With less than three weeks until the election on September 21, 2024, Prof. Yakubu detailed the extensive preparations already completed, including the presentation of the final voter register containing 2,629,025 registered voters. He noted that of the 13 activities scheduled for the election, “we have already implemented 10,” underscoring the Commission’s readiness to conduct a smooth and credible election.
Digital Transformation of Electoral Processes
A key focus of the meeting was INEC’s transition to digital platforms for critical election tasks, such as the nomination of polling and collation agents. Prof. Yakubu made it clear that the shift from manual processes is permanent, stating, “There will be no going back to the manual process. It is gone for good.” He highlighted that while observer groups and media organizations have fully complied with the digital procedures, political parties have faced challenges, particularly with the quality of uploaded images of their agents.
“The Commission is determined that your agents at Polling Units and Collation Centres must be identified by name and their photographs clearly printed on their accreditation tags,” Prof. Yakubu emphasized, noting the introduction of QR codes on accreditation tags for easy authentication. He urged political parties to resolve any compliance issues promptly, warning that tags would only be produced for properly uploaded and verified agents.
Final Preparations and Stakeholder Engagements
INEC has also ramped up its engagement with stakeholders at state and local government levels, with voter education programs in full swing. The Commission has concluded the training of security personnel and is finalizing logistics arrangements, including the delivery of non-sensitive materials and the preparation of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.
In a significant step towards ensuring the credibility of the election, Prof. Yakubu announced that on September 10, 2024, INEC will conduct a Mock Accreditation of voters across 12 Polling Units in six Local Government Areas of Edo State. This exercise will test the deployment of BVAS and the upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, ensuring that the technology performs as expected on election day.
Peace Accord and Campaign Conduct
In a bid to promote peaceful elections, the signing of the Peace Accord, facilitated by the National Peace Committee led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, is scheduled for September 12, 2024, in Benin City. Prof. Yakubu explained that the early signing of the accord is intended to allow the Peace Committee to monitor compliance with the commitments made by political parties and candidates throughout the remaining campaign period.
“Unlike previous peace accords signed a few days to the election, it was decided to do so early this time around to enable the Peace Committee to monitor compliance with the code voluntarily signed by parties, candidates, and other critical players,” Prof. Yakubu said.
He also reminded political parties to maintain decorum in their campaigns and to adhere strictly to INEC’s regulations for rallies and processions. Noting that no party has yet submitted dates and locations for major campaign events, he encouraged them to do so to facilitate better coordination and minimize conflicts.
Call to Action for Political Parties
In closing, Prof. Yakubu urged political parties to take full advantage of the digital systems put in place by INEC and to actively participate in the upcoming stakeholder meetings and the Peace Accord signing. “I urge you as leaders of political parties to note the dates for the INEC Stakeholders meeting and the signing of the Peace Accord and mobilize your State Chairmen and candidates to participate,” he said.
The INEC Chairman’s remarks signal a firm commitment to a transparent and efficient electoral process, driven by technological innovations designed to enhance the credibility of the Edo State Governorship election. As the election date draws nearer, all eyes will be on how these measures contribute to a fair and peaceful election in Edo State.