11/11 ELECTIONS: INEC ASKED ALL PARTIES TO FILL IN NAMES OF PARTY AGENTS IN ALL POLLING UNITS AND COLLATION CENTER 24-10-23
By Sadiq Aminu The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has urged all political parties that have fielded Candidates for the November 11th Governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States who have not completed the nomination of agents for all the polling units and Collation centres to do so immediately.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu who stated this today in Abuja during the quarterly Consultative Meeting between the Commission and leaders of the Political Parties in the country explained that the Commission would soon publish detailed distribution of agents uploaded by all political parties for public information.
He said that the printing of agents’ identity cards would be completed this weekend to allow political parties ample time to distribute the cards to their agents and that all the identity cards are QR Code-readable to ensure maximum security and to avoid impersonation by unaccredited persons.
The INEC Boss expressed concern about the spate of recent judgements and orders of court in respect of the nomination, substitution or disqualification of candidates after all the sensitive materials have been printed.
Professor Yakubu said reprinting of the materials in compliance with court orders within a short period of time was not only expensive but the management of the process was very challenging.
He Further explained that although the Commission had already published the final list of candidates for the three States, four recent court orders had compelled the Commission to review the list.
‘’These changes have been reflected in the updated list of parties and candidates on our website. However, this decision is without prejudice to any pending appeal by the affected candidates or their political parties.’’
Professor Yakubu urged the political parties to eschew violence during electioneering campaigns.
In a remark, the Chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Alhaji Yagbagi Sani urged the youths and supporters of all the political parties not to allow themselves to be used as political thugs.
Alhaji Sani also urged the Security agencies to be professional in their conduct on election day.