By Akinwale Kasali
As the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, prepares for the forthcoming Ondo and Edo State Election, the Commission has inducted 10 New Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, alongside others.
The Commission said the induction was necessary in engaging its service providers and also interface in its continous efforts to improve organisational capacity for better services delivery.
The retreat which held at Marriot Hotel in Lagos had in attendance RECs from all over the country and 10 newly inducted RECs and other members of staff of the commission.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in his remarks said it is the 5th retreat organised by the commission in the last two years, and the retreat was organized to induct 10 new RECS. Nine of theREC’s were sworn-in on 12th December 2023 and the remaining one on the 30th January 2024.
Prof. Mahmood said, “Today’s retreat is holding against the background of forthcoming governorship elections in Edo State in the next 81 days and Ondo State in the 137 days.
“In addition, there are five pending bye-elections for Babura/Garki Federal Constituency of Jigawa State and four State constituencies: Khana II of Rivers State, Bagwai/Shanono of Kano State, Zaria Kewaye of Kaduna State and Ganye of Adamawa State.
“These outstanding bye-elections bring the total of such elections to 14 since the inauguration of the National and State Assemblies in June last year”.
Yakubu encouraged the new RECs to focus on how they can acquaint themselves more with the processes and procedures of the Commission and for the veterans, they should leverage on the privileged field experience to contribute on how to mitigate recurring challenges in the areas of pre-election and post-election litigations, operational issues especially in the area of logistics, improvement on voter education processes, issues of strategic communication and combating fake news, misinformation and disinformation as well as inclusivity in the electoral process, voter registration, allotting voters to polling units, the role of technology from pre-election activities to Election Day processes, political party issues mainly arising from leadership crisis and the management of party primaries.
He added that the recruitment and training of election duty officials, election security and INECs code of conduct should be strictly adhered to.
Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Ayobami Salami, who is the Host REC, in his remarks, said the electoral activities, especially in Nigeria are very big task and the job of the RECs is to oversee and advise the commission’s activities in the state in accordance with the commission’s guideline and electoral act and therefore urge his colleagues to take the retreat seriously so that at the end they will deliver transparent and acceptable electoral process.
