Politics

INEC Vows Professionalism Ahead Of Edo, Ondo Gov Polls

Published

1 year ago

June 10, 2024

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Monday, underscored the importance of professionalism and competence among election personnel for the success of elections.

Yakubu conveyed this in an address honoring the former Director General of The Electoral Institute, the late Prof. Abubakar Momoh, in Abuja ahead of the Edo and Ondo off-cycle governorship elections scheduled for September 21 and November 16, 2024, respectively.

The focal point of this year’s lecture was “The 2024 off-cycle elections: Achieving professionalism among election personnel through effective training in preparation for Edo and Ondo states governorship elections.”

Yakubu, represented by the Chairman, of the Board of Electoral Institute, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, highlighted the necessity for election personnel to be knowledgeable, skilled, and equipped to handle the complexities of the electoral process.

He stressed that effective training was crucial in fostering a high level of professionalism among election officials.

“The success of any election largely depends on the professionalism and competence of those responsible for conducting it.

“Therefore, this lecture which is organized in memory of the former Director General TEI, the Late Prof, Abubakar Momoh, could not have come at a better time, considering that the Edo and Ondo off-cycle governorship elections are around the corner, having been scheduled for September 21, 2024 and November 16, 2024 respectively.

“It is important that our personnel for these elections are knowledgeable, skilled, and well-equipped with relevant competencies to handle the complexities and challenges of the electoral process,” he said.

The INEC chairman noted that professionalism was essential for maintaining the integrity of the democratic process and ensuring voter confidence, which in turn affects voter participation and turnout.

Yakubu emphasised that voters should be treated with respect, and any unethical or corrupt practices by election officials would incur severe punishments.

He outlined key principles for election officials, including integrity, impartiality, transparency, professionalism, gender and disability sensitivity, and consideration for vulnerable groups.

The chairman stated, “Hence, a high sense of professionalism amongst election personnel engendered by effective training cannot be over-emphasised.

“The manner, in which they discharge their duties and responsibilities, affects the degree of confidence voters will have in the electoral process, which will impact their participation and turnout.

“To ensure the credibility and trustworthiness in our elections and build trust among the electorates, it is imperative that we prioritise the professional development of our election personnel.”

He added that to achieve these standards, INEC was committed to comprehensive and interactive training programs for its staff and trainers.

In his lecture, the Director of the Mac Arthur Foundation, Kole Shettima, revealed a comprehensive strategy to overhaul and improve various facets of the electoral process.

Central to Shettima’s vision was the integration of civic education into the training curriculum for election officials.

Emphasising the importance of understanding civic duties, democracy, and the history of elections, Shettima, who doubles as a member of the Board of the Electoral Institute stressed the need for election officials to embody integrity and accountability.

Shettima added that the revamped training would not only cover technical processes but also instil a deeper appreciation for the electoral process’s significance.

He said, “Revamp the curricula of training of election officials to include civic duties, the history of elections, democracy, integrity and accountability of election officials, the role of INEC, credible elections, among others, in addition to the technical processes and procedures.

“Physical screening should be conducted before ad-hoc staff are recruited and deployed. This will present a more robust check against the recruitment and deployment of unqualified persons. It is advised to recruit in partnership with institutions instead of recruiting as individuals.

“Ensure that recruited personnel possess the requisite educational qualifications. This will address challenges with a poor understanding of the electoral process and duties by ad-hoc staff.”

Security concerns were not overlooked, as the Director advocated for establishing direct links with security personnel and fostering collective responsibility among stakeholders to protect electoral materials and personnel.

In his remarks, the Director General of the Electoral Institute, Sa’ad Idris, attributed INEC’s successes in the 2023 General Elections and recent off-cycle governorship elections to substantial investments in the training and capacity enhancement of its personnel.

Idris stated that the effective training programmes have directly contributed to the high level of professionalism exhibited by election personnel.

“The successes achieved by the Commission in the recently conducted 2023 general elections and other off-cycle governorship elections both in 2023 and 2024 bear credence to the fact that the investment made by the commission towards enhancement of the capacities of its trainers is a step in the right direction,” he said.

Idris assured that the upcoming elections would reflect a high standard of professionalism, technical competence, and the ability to address various challenges effectively.

During the period of Continous Voter Registration which began on May 27, 2024, and ended on June 9, 2024, the exercise recorded significant progress, with over 120,458 new voters registered.

Up Next

JUST IN: I’m Being Sidelined In My Constituency, Senator Kingibe Cries Out

Don't Miss

Why I Resigned My Membership From APC – Inegbeniki

Comments

Politics

Tinubu’s Mandate Accomplished In Rivers — Ibas

Published

6 hours ago

September 13, 2025

Editor

Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), has stated that the mandate given to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been “sufficiently achieved” with the restoration of democratic governance at the grassroots.

Ibas made the remark on Friday at Government House, Port Harcourt, during the presentation of the report on the recently concluded local government elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

He recalled that Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, directed him to stabilise the state, re-establish its institutions, and return Rivers to full democratic governance following his appointment as sole administrator.

According to him, the successful conduct of the polls and the swearing-in of elected chairmen and councillors across the 23 local government areas marked the fulfilment of that mandate.

“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilise the state, create an enabling environment for the re-establishment of its institutions, and return Rivers State back to full democratic governance. With the successful conduct and swearing-in of local government chairmen and their councils, I believe we have decisively achieved the mandate that we were given,” Ibas stated.

He praised RSIEC for what he described as a credible and transparent election, noting that the exercise was free of harassment and voters freely expressed their choices.

Ibas added that the government would review the RSIEC report and issue a white paper in due course. He also commended his team, security agencies, and state officials for their contributions.

RSIEC Chairman, Dr Mike Odey, who presented the report earlier, described the election as a “historic achievement” for Rivers and the country. He stressed that it was organised, coordinated, and concluded within 30 days — an unprecedented record in Nigerian electoral history.

Politics

2027: Jonathan, Obi Hold Closed-door Meeting

Published

1 day ago

September 12, 2025

Editor

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, on Thursday, held a closed-door meeting with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

Obi, who disclosed the visit in a post on his official X handle on Thursday, described Jonathan as his ”elder brother, a statesman, and leader,” adding that they had a fruitful meeting and discussed the state of the nation.

“Today in Abuja, I met with my very dear elder brother, statesman, and leader, former President Goodluck Jonathan. We had a fruitful closed-door meeting and discussed the state of our dear nation,” Obi wrote.

Although details of the meeting were not made public, the development comes amid ongoing conversations about Nigeria’s political direction and the state of governance under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Jonathan, who led Nigeria between 2010 and 2015, has in recent years positioned himself as a mediator in national and continental issues, particularly in conflict resolution and democratic strengthening efforts across Africa.

Obi, on his part, has continued to engage stakeholders following his strong showing in the 2023 elections, where he came third behind Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The meeting is the latest in Obi’s series of consultations with key political figures as discussions around Nigeria’s future political realignments intensify.

Attempts to obtain clarification from Obi’s former campaign spokesman, Dr Yunusa Tanko, and leaders of the Obidient Movement were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.

Thursday’s meeting is the latest in Obi’s string of high-level engagements, signalling what observers believe could be the early stirrings of a new political coalition.

Speculations became rife of Jonathan’s possible return after the Peoples Democratic Party zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

There have also been reports that the PDP had been wooing Obi to return to the party, as he is seen as major force capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Politics

INEC Shortlists 14 Associations For Political Party Registration

Published

2 days ago

September 11, 2025

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that 14 political associations have met the initial requirements to proceed to the next stage of registration as political parties in Nigeria.

This decision followed the Commission’s regular meeting held on Thursday, where it also reviewed preparations for upcoming off-cycle governorship elections and the end-of-tenure Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory.

In a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, INEC revealed that it received 171 applications from associations seeking registration.

“Each request was assessed on the basis of its prima facie compliance with the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Section 79 (1, 2 and 4) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 2 (i and ii) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022,” the commission stated.

Out of the total applications, only 14 associations satisfied the preliminary legal and procedural criteria to advance, while 157 did not meet the threshold.

“Out of the total number of applications received, 14 associations have met the requirements to proceed to the next stage, while 157 have not.

“The commission shall officially communicate the decision arising from today’s meeting to all the associations in the next 24 hours,” the statement noted.

Olumekun noted that their interim chairmen and secretaries will be invited to a briefing scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 11:00 am at INEC Headquarters in Abuja.

“The interim Chairmen and Secretaries of the pre-qualified associations are invited to a briefing on Wednesday, 17th September 2025 at 11 am at the commission’s Headquarters in Abuja,” he stated.

INEC emphasised that meeting these initial criteria does not equate to full registration.

The final decision on the registrability of each association will be made after this verification phase to ensure full compliance with the legal framework.

“In addition to uploading the required information to the portal, the commission will physically verify all claims by each association in line with our Regulations and Guidelines.

“The final determination of the registrability of the associations as political parties will be made after the physical verification of all their claims to determine compliance with the legal framework,” the statement said.

“We wish to reiterate that party registration is a continuous process under the law. The commission remains open to the consideration of applications that meet the criteria as provided by law,” Olumekun added.

Fourteen associations are now cleared for the next phase, including the African Transformation Party, chaired by Ikhane Stanley, with Secretary Emmanuel Shaibu; The All Democratic Alliance is led by Chief Akin A. Ricketts and Secretary Abdullahi Musa Elayo; Mohammed Kabir and Secretary Chibuike Onyendilefu represent the Advance Nigeria Congress; while the Abundance Social Party is represented by Comrade Frank Oruwa and Secretary Sikiru Oripelaye.

The African Alliance Party is headed by Olusegun Peters with Secretary Haruna Abubakar; the Citizens Democratic Alliance is led by Engr. Muazu Magaji and Secretary Tamunotonye Inioribo; Barr. Fortune Oghenegare Aghwaretoma and Secretary Munirat Adama lead the Democratic Leadership Alliance; The Grassroots Initiative Party is represented by Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie and Secretary Mohammed Abas Kuti; while the Green Future Party has Dr. Adebayo Adefolaseye and Secretary Peace Daful as its interim leaders.

The Liberation People’s Party is chaired by Hon. Alani Akinde with Secretary Douglas Aji; Hon. Ada Okwori and Secretary Asuquo Edet Alexander are at the helm of the National Democratic Party; The National Reform Party is led by Abdulkadir Mohammed and Secretary Destiny Ormonigho Odugo; Also shortlisted are the Patriotic Peoples Alliance represented by Hon. John Ughulu and Secretary Jackie Wayas; and the Peoples Freedom Party chaired by Engr. Agbanifo Francis Akhigbe with Secretary Akintola Michael Alao.