The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has lamented the series of attacks on the Commission’s facilities in last four months.
The electoral umpire said that the Commission has lost 1992 Ballot Boxes, 385 Polling Cubicles, 22 Electric Power Generators and thousands of Permanent Voters Card, PVCs. He said they were destroyed and/or carted away by unknown men who had attacked the INEC Facilities in Ebonyi State and other States.
Yakubu said that the Commission will recover from the attack as it has just 86 days to the 2023 General Elections, stressing that the destroyed equipment and facilities are being replaced, despite the limited resources.
He, however, added that the electorate and Nigerians as a whole should discountenance any debate about a Court Judgement or ruling that called for the extension of Voters Registration, and also the false information being peddled by mischief makers that without Permanent Voters Card, PVCs, one can vote.
The INEC Boss made these remarks at the Induction of 19 News Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, in different States of the Federation held at Four Points By Sheraton, Lagos.
Yakubu said that the Induction was necessary as it was an avenue to review the performance of previous elections and how to make it better by leveraging on the successes of the Ekiti and Osun Governorship Election held recently.
The United Nations Development Programmes, UNDP, Technical Director, Darren Flitz said that it was an opportunity to brainstorm on how to have an efficient, successful, free, fair and peaceful elections in 2023.
Flitz added that it was necessary for the RECs to create a bond, strategize and understand the rudiments of electioneering, in which teamwork, peace, justice and restitution is prioritized.
The Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Olusegun Agbaje, said that it is an opportunity for him and his colleagues to learn the rudiments of electoral processes and management.
Agbaje said that the induction is coming at a critical time for the betterment of the RECs as they will be better equipped with improved electoral practices.
He added that Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BIVAS, as made identity theft impossible which is a big boost to electioneering in the country, stressing that all hands are on deck in Lagos for a better election.
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