'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER – Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), issued a stern reminder to CSOs about adhering to the Commission’s code of conduct. Highlighting the critical role of CSOs in monitoring the upcoming Edo and Ondo State Governorship elections, Yakubu stressed that non-compliance could result in the revocation of their accreditation.
This warning was issued during the third quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) today July 30, at the Commission's headquarters in Abuja.
Yakubu provided an update on the preparations for the Edo State Governorship election, scheduled for September 21, 2024. Despite severe flooding at INEC's Benin City headquarters, recovery efforts are on track, and additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines have been delivered for election personnel training.
INEC is finalizing the voter register following the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and data clean-up processes, with new voter distribution figures to be published soon. Yakubu urged CSOs to encourage citizens to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and reminded them to submit observer lists by the July 31 deadline. So far, 56 organizations have submitted details for 894 observers, only 33.6% of the expected total.
The Chairman acknowledged requests for additional observer slots, noting that INEC would consider these based on each organization's past performance and adherence to guidelines. As political campaigns intensify, Yakubu emphasized the importance of advocating for peaceful elections, especially in light of recent violence in Edo State.
Yakubu reiterated the importance of CSOs adhering to the Commission’s guidelines and code of conduct, available in a 22-page document on INEC’s website. Failure to comply could lead to the revocation of accreditation for individual observers or entire groups.
Addressing recent vacancies in state and federal constituencies, Yakubu announced that dates for the necessary bye-elections would be released soon.
The meeting underscored INEC's commitment to ensuring fair, transparent, and peaceful elections, while holding CSOs accountable to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
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