INEC Urges Political Parties to Upload Polling Agents Ahead of Edo/Ondo Elections

INEC Urges Political Parties to Upload Polling Agents Ahead of Edo/Ondo Elections

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged political parties to upload the details of their polling agents on the dedicated portal ahead of the forthcoming Edo and Ondo Governorship elections.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made this call on Monday during the third regular quarterly consultative meeting with political parties for 2024.

 According to him, 14 political parties have so far uploaded the details of 38,354 polling agents and 819 collation agents for the Edo State Governorship election, while three parties are yet to upload a single polling agent and five parties have not uploaded agents for Ward, Local Government and State collation centers.

Yakubu urged political parties to meet the deadline of Tuesday, July 30, when the portal automatically shuts down at midnight, to enable the commission produce accreditation tags and deliver them to their agents in good time.

“As the Edo State Governorship approaches, I wish to remind leaders of political parties of your obligation to submit the list of your agents by uploading the required information, including photographs, to the dedicated portal. This requirement is listed as item 9 on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election released by the Commission nearly a year ago on 26th September 2023. 

“As at yesterday, Sunday 28th July 2024, 14 political parties have uploaded the details of 38,354 polling agents and 819 collation agents for the Edo State Governorship election. Three parties are yet to upload a single polling agent while five parties have not uploaded a single agent for Ward, Local Government and State collation centers. 

“The deadline is tomorrow Tuesday 30th July 2024 when the portal automatically shuts down at midnight. I urge you to ensure that you meet the deadline so that the Commission can produce the accreditation tags and deliver them to you for distribution to your agents in good time,” Yakubu said.

The INEC chairman also reminded political parties that campaign is in full swing, and urged them to demonstrate compliance with the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022, especially the aspect dealing with rallies, processions, and campaigns.

Furthermore, Yakubu expressed concern over the recent event in Edo State resulting in the death of a security personnel during a political rally and assured that security will be a major issue for discussion at an upcoming meeting with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

“The campaign period has often been characterised by acrimony and tension. Sadly, it is also a period of verbal abuse and physical confrontation among parties, candidates and their supporters. The Commission finds the recent event in Edo State resulting in the death of a security personnel worrisome. Happily, there has been no incident known to the Commission since then. 

“Nevertheless, the Commission will meet with the security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). I want to assure you that security in Edo and Ondo will be a major issue for discussion at the meeting. We are as concerned about the safety of your candidates, agents and supporters as we are about the security of our own officials, observers, journalists, service providers and, above all, the voters,” he said.

On bye-election, INEC Chairman said; “you may recall that at our last meeting, I informed you of the existence of vacancies in four States, involving three State Constituencies and one Federal Constituency. Since then, two more vacancies have been declared by the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives following the death of the members representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency of Oyo State and the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency of Kaduna State. The Commission will soon announce the dates for the bye-elections.”