The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said political parties fielding candidates in the September 21 Edo governorship election uploaded poor quality images of their polling and collation agents, to its portal.
The Commission, however, said it has brought forward the signing of the peace accord by the parties to enable the General Abdulsalami-led National Peace Committee (NPC), to monitor compliance.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at an emergency meeting with leadership of political parties in Abuja on Thursday, said “This will add further weight to the peace accord beyond mere ceremony as demanded by many observers and even some of the political actors themselves.”
Prof. Yakubu who disclosed that the signing of the peace accord which will be preceded by the INEC stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, September 11 in Benin City, will hold on the 12th.
It would be recalled that INEC usually hold the peace accords signing few days to the election.
The INEC Chairman however, urged party leaders to note the dates for the INEC stakeholders’ meeting and the signing of the peace accord and to mobilise their state chairmen and candidates to participate.
He stated the problem of upload of poor quality images of agents “cuts across all political parties despite the fact that this is not being done for the first time.”
According to him, in keeping with its practice before major elections, the commission trained officials nominated by political parties.
“We also set up a help desk in the event of any political party needing assistance,” he added.
Prof. Yakubu emphasised that there will be no going back to the manual process of submission of party agents, which he said, “is gone for good.”
He stated that observer groups and media organisations have fully complied with the digital procedure, and said political parties cannot be an exception.
“You must do the needful instead of constantly complaining of shortfalls in the number of accreditation tags supplied for your agents,” he demanded.
He told the party leaders that INEC will only produce tags for uploads that meet the requirements of its regulations and guidelines.
“The commission is determined that your agents at polling units and collation centres must be identified by name and their photographs clearly printed on their accreditation tags duly authorised by the commission.
“We have also added a QR Code to each tag for easy authentication and verification of your agents at the polling and collation centres.
Prof. Yakubu observed that no political party has submitted to the INEC, the dates and locations of its major campaign rallies and processions, but said that they would quick to complain of incidents when they occur.