The Independent National Electoral Commission has raised concerns at the spate of insecurity and violence, including clashes among supporters of Political Parties and candidates in the forthcoming Governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa States.
In a statement by Sam Olumekun,
National Commissioner & Chairman
Information and Voter Education Committee, the Commission has constantly called on parties to rein in their supporters from actions capable of jeopardizing the peaceful conduct of elections in Nigeria.
INEC however appealed to all Political Parties and candidates to avoid utterances and acts that may heat up the polity.
Oyemekun said the Commission will continue to closely monitor the situation and sustain its engagement with security agencies and stakeholders to ensure a peaceful conduct of elections in the three States.
The Commission also expressed reservation that despite it’s notification to political Parties on the opening of its online portal for the upload of the list of polling units and collation centre agents, which commenced on Thursday 24th August 2023,they are yet to substantially comply by submitting the list of their agents.
” For Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States, only 55% of the expected total of 189,180 polling unit agents have been uploaded to the designated INEC Portal. Specifically, 29,278 out of the expected 40,372 (72.5%) for Bayelsa State; 51,681 out of 85,644 (60.3%) for Imo, and 23,720 out of 63,144 (37.6%) for Kogi State have been uploaded.
Similarly, only 25.1% of the expected 15,804 Collation Agents in the three States have been uploaded: 1,246 (26.0%) out of 4,806 for Bayelsa; 1,638 (27.3%) out of 5,994 for Imo, and 1,095 (21.9%) out of 5,004 for Kogi State, Oyemekun said.
The Commission reminds the Political Parties that the portal will automatically shut down at 12:00 midnight on Tuesday 10th October 2023 as there shall be no extension.
The National Commissioner urges all parties sponsoring candidates for the elections that are yet to upload the list of their agents should do so before the deadline for the exercise.
The Commission further encouraged all interested Media organisations to take advantage of the remaining window to apply on imap.inecnigeria.org before the deadline on 22nd October 2023.
“The online accreditation of Journalists commenced on 24th August 2023 and will close on 22nd October 2023.
So far, 45 media organisations have applied for accreditation., Oyemekun said.
He added that late applications will not be entertained as there is no provision for manual accreditation anymore.
