The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Friday declared that its desire to conduct credible elections was sacrosanct; hence the need to seek the support and cooperation of stakeholders in order to achieve the objective.
INEC’s director of ICT, Barry Paul Omokore, made the declaration at a one-day capacity building workshop for journalists in the North-east on conflict-sensitive reporting held at the NUJ Secretariat, Bauchi.
According to him, the technology deployed has proven to be an effective tool in achieving the set goals.
Omokore, represented by Mukhtar Udubo of the INEC Bauchi office, said ahead of next year’s general elections, INEC was committed to the improvement of the electoral process.
He added that the desire for the improvement was driven by the core values of the Commission, which included credibility and transparency.
He said, “The need to have one-person-one-vote is what has necessitated the development of an ABIS and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). The need to ensure the credibility and openness of the Commission has necessitated also the deployment of the IReV portal. The need to have one-person-one-vote cannot be over-emphasised as this is the bedrock of any credible election. The application of technology has been a major tool to the achievement of our values, different technologies have been applied over the years, and regularly, INEC makes it a point of duty to improve and re-define technological progress.”
Also speaking, the director, Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, Mrs. Babalola O.O., said the Electoral Act, 2022, “is a laudable effort to bring the Nigerian electoral process up to standards with countries all over the world.”
She gave the assurance that INEC would continue to evolve and improve on the processes in its quest for credible elections.
everyone. We don’t want to engage on violence. We want the best for Nigerians, for our children, relatives and generations yet unborn. Do not use the pulpit for campaigns. Allow the will of God to be done before, during and after elections. Don’t let them deceive you with edibles, food or clothing,” he said.
He further charged the youth who were yet to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs) to “quickly visit designated areas for collection,” and urged them to prepare to utilise them to elect credible leaders next year.
Earlier speaking, the Anambra state chairman of YOMICAN, Comrade Nwabueze Kingsley Nwokoye, gave the assurance that the state had been peaceful and would continue to “remain so even after the elections.”
