INEC Chairman Raises Concern Over ‘Very Challenging, Expensive’ Threat To Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa Polls

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has raised concern over the negative impact of recent court orders and judgments on the Commission’s preparation for the November 11, 2023 governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states.

The developments, according to Yakubu, have made preparations for the elections “very challenging” and “expensive” for the electoral umpire.

Addressing representatives from various political parties at the quarterly consultative meeting held at the INEC headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja, Yakubu highlighted the difficulties faced by INEC due to last-minute changes necessitated by court orders.

He noted that reprinting sensitive election materials within a short period is not only a costly endeavour but also poses significant challenges for the management of the electoral process.

Yakubu stated that despite INEC’s previous publication of the final list of candidates for the three states, four recent court orders have forced the commission to revise the list, resulting in an updated list of parties and candidates.

“On the issue of candidature, the Commission is concerned 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. The reprinting of the materials in compliance with court orders within a short period of time is not only expensive but the management of the process very challenging.

“Although the Commission has already published the final list of candidates for the three States, four recent court orders have compelled us 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,” said Yakubu.

Furthermore, the INEC Chairman expressed worry over rising incidents of violence in the three states, urging party leaders to prioritize peace throughout the campaign period.

“As electioneering campaigns continue to intensify, the Commission reiterates its concern about the spate of violence in the three States involving parties and candidates. I wish to remind you as party leaders that free and fair elections are only possible in an atmosphere of peace. After all, an election is a process involving human beings as voters, election officials, observers and the media whose safety is of paramount concern to us.

“While we will continue to work with the security agencies in this regard, political parties acting individually or collectively through the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) also have an obligation to impress on your members, candidates and supporters to maintain peace during the campaign rallies and procession. I urge you to also appeal to them to maintain the same disposition on Election Day and beyond,” he said.

THE WHISTLER reports that with barely 18 days to the elections, INEC will deploy 46,084 officials to Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi for the off-cycle elections.

The umpire had disclosed that 137,934 party agents representing the 18 political parties and comprising 130,093 polling and 7,841 collation agents have been nominated by political parties to serve as field representatives during the elections, with more still being expected.