••• SAYS OFFICIALS FOUND WANTING WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN GOVERNORSHIP POLL
•••INSISTS ON BVAS FOR GOVERNORSHIP/STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
•••TO ADDRESS INFRACTIONS IN THE PRESIDENTIAL/NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmoud Yakubu, has said that the commission would punish its officials for negligence in the February 25, 2023, presidential and National Assembly elections.
Yakubu said the officials who include Collation and Returning Officers, whose actions were below expectations in the just concluded elections would not be involved in the forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections.
The INEC Chairman spoke during a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja, on Saturday.
He also said that any infraction in the Presidential elections would be addressed.
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, said that the commission will be deploying BVAS, during the March 11 governorship election, as he admitted hitches during the presidential and National Assembly elections conducted in last week Saturday.
According to the INEC Chairman, a lot of lessons have been learnt from the presidential elections ahead of the Governorship and State Assembly elections.
He told the RECs that its necessary that the commission reviewed the performances from last Saturday’s election.
Yakubu observed that the commission carefully conducted the election painstakingly but regretted that it came out with issues emanating from technology, delay by election officials, attitudes of political parties’ agents among others.
“Arising from last week’s election, the Commission has received reports from our state offices well as complaints and petitions from political parties and candidates. Where infractions of any kind are proven, there will be redress.
“I must add that any action taken by the Commission is without prejudice to the rights of parties and candidates to seek further remedy as provided by law,” Yakubu said..
Yakubu stated further that “All staff found to be negligent, whether they are regular or ad hoc officials, including Collation and Returning Officers, must not be involved in forthcoming elections.
“RECs must also immediately initiate disciplinary action where prima facie evidence of wrongdoing has been established.
“Election Day logistics must be finalised days before the election and handled by the Electoral Officers (EOs) at Local Government level. This has been our standard practice. Centralising the process as was done in some states resulted in delayed deployment of personnel and materials and late commencement of polls.
“RECs will be held responsible for any tardy arrangement or the failure to deploy electric power generators to collation centres or polling units where such facilities are needed.
“The Commission has enough facilities in all the states of the federation. Failure to deploy them is simply inexcusable.”
The INEC chairman said during the meeting that winners have been declared for 423 National Assembly seats.
He added that the Commission would conduct supplementary elections in 46 constituencies.
According to him, 98 out of 109 seats have been declared in the Senate, while 325 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives.
He said that seven political parties have so far won senatorial seats in the just concluded elections.
He stated that the APC won 57 seats; APGA – 1; LP – 6, NNPP – 2; PDP – 29; SDP – 2; while YPP won 1 seat in the Senate.
He added that in the House of Representatives, the APC won 162 seats; ADC – 2; APGA – 4; LP – 34; NNPP – 18; PDP – 102; SDP – 2; while YPP won 1 seat.
Yakubu said that the Commission would present certificates of return to Senators-elect and House of Representatives-elect on Tuesday, March 7 and March 8, respectively at the National Collation Centre in Abuja.
