The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged political parties to utilize the period remaining for the conduct of 2019 general elections to train agents they intend to deploy for the various strands of elections.
The commission said the training has become imperative because an agent without knowledge of electoral rules and regulations would be a burden to the party and cannot protect its interest in the polling units.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, stated this yesterday in Abuja at the 2019 General Elections National Peace Conference, organized by Youngstars Development Initiative (YDI) with support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
Prof Yakubu was represented by Barr. Festus Okoye, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee.
He also advised political parties to submit the details of their polling agents to the electoral officer of the local government or area council at least 14 days before the election date.
He said the commission would not, under any circumstance, allow any party agent that is not accredited to play any part in the polling units or disrupt proceedings.
He said INEC would vigorously enforce the provisions of section 45(1) of the Electoral Act which mandates political parties wishing to deploy party agents to the polling units and collation centres to write to the Electoral Officer of the local government.
On effort against vote buying, he said the commission would enforce its decision not to allow any individual to go into the polling unit with mobile phones, adding that INEC would train its ad hoc staff on how to place the voting cubicle to ensure the secrecy of the vote.
In his remark, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington advised Nigerians against vote buying, saying “On election day, don’t allow anybody take your cards or buy your cards.”
The convener of Vote Not Fight campaign, Innocent Idibia (2baba) urged the youth to shun violence but constructively participate in the electoral process.
He said young people have, overtime, been identified as both perpetrators and victims of electoral violence, sponsored by the political elites.
