INEC Grants Access to its Situation Room
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that it will allow members of accredited domestic and foreign observer groups, political party members and the media into its Situation Room. The Room is the core of the collation activities of the Commission for the Presidential Election and is usually not open to outsiders. This measure by INEC is aimed at enhancing the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
Release of Framework for IDP Voting
INEC recently released its Regulations for Voting for Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs). The Document which aligns with Section 15 (a) (1) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Section 26 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), provides details on the voting processes for IDPs in the forthcoming elections. The Regulations include outlines of the definition of IDPs to provide clarity, as well as the classification of IDPs by location. This classification places IDPs under two broad groupings on the basis of location namely: Intrastate and Interstate. Intrastate IDPs refers to those internally displaced within a State; Interstate IDPs refers to the internally displaced, but hosted in a State other than their State of habitual residence. The Framework defines the Election Category for each group: For Intrastate IDP voting, IDPs shall vote or participate in all elections, undertaken and supervised by the Commission using their PVCs, after which collation and transmission of the results will be done using special forms and guidelines for such purpose. For Interstate IDP voting, displaced persons shall vote or participate in only the Presidential election using their PVCs, after which collation and transmission of the results will be done using special forms and guidelines for such purpose. The Framework also covers processes relating to accreditation and voting such as Continuous Voter Registration, Distribution of PVCs, Establishment of IDP Voting Centres, Smart Card Reader, Use of PVC for voting, Register of Voters. Other components mentioned are: Security, Transmission and merging of Results; Election Results, Logistics Arrangement, Engagement with Stakeholders and Partnership for Voter Education.
144 Election Observer Groups Accredited for the General Elections
On Sunday, 27th January, INEC announced that a total of 144 observer groups have been accredited to monitor the 2019 General Elections. They comprise 116 domestic and 28 foreign observer groups and were advised to collect and fill in form EC14A (ii), from its Elections and Party Monitoring Department at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, between 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday commencing from 28th January to 1st February.
The election management body also issued a stern warning of cancellation to the accredited groups, for any breach of the code of conduct. In a notice issued by the Commission, it warned that: “Any unaccredited group found in any State for the elections shall be handed over to the enforcement agencies.” It added that “accredited field observers found in States other than where they were posted, would be sanctioned” and that it “reserves the right to cancel and withdraw the accreditation of any organisation if its members or agents breach the code of conduct.”
Security Arrangements: Acting IGP meets with INEC
The Acting Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, revealed that the Federal Government has provided the Police with all the resources to carry out its duties and responsibilities during the General Elections. According to him, “The personnel and every policeman will get their allowance before proceeding to the field. The means of transportation will also be provided.” Providing further insight into the arrangements for the elections, Mr. Adamu stated that security personnel will be deployed three days before the election and will remain behind for two days after the election to accompany election officials as they move the results from the ward and local government collation centres to the state collation centre. He added that: “All Registration Area Centres (RACs), polling units, voting points and collation centres will have security personnel. There will be at least three at each polling unit with the Police taking the lead, while units of mobile policemen will be deployed to patrol all senatorial districts.”