As preparations for the Ondo State Governorship election enter the final stages, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has issued a strong reminder to accredited election observers to adhere strictly to the Code of Conduct.
Addressing the fourth quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations, CSOs,at INEC headquarters in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, emphasized the importance of following these guidelines.
“I wish to remind you of your obligations as observers by complying with the Commission’s rules of engagement for accredited election observers,” he stated.
Prof. Yakubu assured the public that measures are in place to enhance transparency in the voting process. “In the next few days, the Commission will upload to our website the cumulative figure of all PVCs collected in each of the 3,933 Polling Units across the State for the purpose of result management as provided by law and for public information.”
Reflecting on previous elections, he noted, “As usual, we have learnt lessons from previous elections. We have improved on the voter accreditation process and the upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. There have been similar improvements in observer and media accreditation.” He highlighted ongoing voter education efforts and improvements in training for election duty staff, particularly Polling Unit officials. “As we approach the Ondo State governorship election, there will be further improvements, especially in the areas of logistics for the movement of personnel and materials to both land and riverine locations to enable the prompt commencement of polls as well as the management of the processes on Election Day from voting to declaration of result,” Yakubu added.
Yakubu also announced a mock accreditation exercise on November 6, 2024, for voter accreditation and result upload to the IReV, scheduled across 12 Polling Units in six Local Government Areas within the State’s three Senatorial Districts. “Detailed locations of the centres have been uploaded to our website. Hardcopies are enclosed in your folders for this meeting,” he stated.
Next week, INEC plans to conduct a final readiness assessment for the Ondo election. “As early as next week, the Commission will undertake a final readiness assessment of our preparations for the Ondo election, meet with our officials, engage with stakeholders and interact with the security agencies and transport providers,” Yakubu noted. He also mentioned an upcoming Peace Accord signing in Ondo, led by the National Peace Committee under former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, scheduled for Friday.
Prof. Yakubu stressed that any observer or group failing to comply with the Code of Conduct could face penalties. “I wish to reiterate that the Commission reserves the right to withdraw the accreditation of any individual observer or group that violates the Code of Conduct for election observation,” he warned.
He directed observers to the 22-page document “Briefing for Observers”, which offers a concise summary of the Code, noting that “a concise summary of the Code is contained in the 22-page document entitled ‘Briefing for Observers’ available on our website www.inecnigeria.org.”
With the Ondo State election scheduled for November 16, Yakubu highlighted the importance of adherence to standards, reaffirming INEC’s dedication to a peaceful, transparent process.
