Prof. Mahmood Yakubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission says it has set up a dedicated portal through which political parties contesting for the Edo State governorship poll scheduled for September 19 will submit the nomination forms of their candidates.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Monday, during the first virtual consultative meeting of the commission with leaders of political parties.

Yakubu, however, warned political parties against changes in the date for the conduct of their primaries for the election, as the portal would be automatically shut down on the scheduled dates.

He said: “Party primaries for the nomination of candidates for the Edo Governorship election begin tomorrow. Already, some political parties have invited the commission to monitor their primaries which must be conducted from 2nd to 27th June 2020.

“This time around, the submission of nomination forms will be done online for which a dedicated portal has been set up.

“Let me therefore warn political parties that intend to field candidates for the election to strictly adhere to these dates as well as the new online procedure for filing of nominations.

“Any party that operates outside these dates will only have itself to blame.

“The portal will automatically shutdown on the scheduled date and at the fixed hour.

“The Legal Department and ICT will brief this meeting on the new procedure.”

The chairman advised parties on the need to conduct rancour-free primaries and to avoid acts of thuggery, brigandage, vote-buying and other sundry violations of the Electoral Act.

Yakubu also directed parties that opted for direct primaries to provide the commission with the list of their registered members, while those going for indirect primaries must also provide INEC with the list of their delegates.

He said: “As we monitor the conduct of party primaries, we will pay particular attention to your compliance with the law and to consider sanctions so that the unruly behaviour of some party supporters is not carried forward to the main election.

“At the same time, I wish to appeal to political parties that opt for direct primaries to avail us with the register of members to be used for the election from Ward to Local Government and State levels for the effective discharge of our monitoring responsibilities under the law.

“Those that opt for indirect primaries should similarly make available to the commission the list of delegates for the election.

“Doing otherwise will amount to going into an election without the voters’ register.

“The commission makes available to each political party the complete register of voters before every major election.

“We expect political parties to reciprocate for their primaries.”

Yakubu disclosed that the commission had already carried out the first out of the 14 activities it lined up for the Edo State governorship election as the notice for the election (Form EC60A) had been pasted in its Edo State office.

The INEC chairman, who stressed the need for a national conversation around the frequency of bye-elections in Nigeria, said in the month of May 2020 alone, five members of State Houses of Assembly passed on.

He added that since December 2019, a period of six months, 12 members of the National and State Houses of Assembly had similarly passed on.

He added: “This is in addition to the resignation of two Senators from Bayelsa who have since been sworn-in as Governor and Deputy Governor of the state.

“The cost of conducting these bye-elections to the commission, the security agencies, political parties and candidates, election observers, the media, litigations (both pre-election and post-election) and disruption of activities as a result of the restriction of movement on election day is enormous.

“There is no election season in Nigeria any longer.

“The commission is busy conducting elections all-year round between one general election and another.

“This often diverts our attention away from reform, innovation, peer learning and planning for the consolidation of our electoral process.

“The commission is going to open a discussion with stakeholders and the National Assembly for necessary reforms toward more cost-effective and democratic options.”

Yakubu welcomed the input of party leaders to the new policy for conducting elections under the COVID-19 pandemic recently released by the commission.

In his response, Interim National Chairman, Inter-party Advisory Council, Dr. Leonard Nzenwa, commended INEC for its policy for conducting elections under the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nzenwa, who is also the National Chairman, African Action Congress, said organising elections in a pandemic era and in a national emergency period would no doubt be an uphill task.

He said: “For undertaking elections in normal period has never been easy, and definitely will not be less daunting this season.

“It is in the light of this, we, the political parties, will want to commend INEC for the bold step it has taken to come up early with a well-heeled policy on conducting elections in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

“Indeed, the measures outlined to tame the scourge in the document is realistic, exhaustive, health-sensitive, safety-induced and in tune with reality of the times.

“Our checks so far show that globally INEC is the first national election organising body to have done this, not even USA, India, Pakistan has codified effort to respond maximally, politics-wise, to the pandemic in an enclosed one-all document as it did.

“And this was done swiftly!

“It is also gratifying to note that the document received wide commendation across board and is now being referenced.

“And last week, we commended the commission via a plethora of media for its effort.

“From high-end issues as health and safety concerns, legal matters, election planning and implementation to elections operations to materials handling, staff management and ad hoc recruitment.

“Placement to logistics, transportation and passenger management to queuing arrangement in polling units, crucial areas in pre and post election preparation and management were properly captured.”

Nzenwa, however, called on INEC to be ready and willing to review some aspects of the policy document regarding misgivings by stakeholders who strongly feel that some of its provisions might not be feasible when it was lifted from paper for implementation.

He expressed the resolve of IPAC to work with INEC in deepening engagement with all stakeholders, especially the electorate, by properly informing them about their roles and responsibilities during election in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

He urged INEC to ensure that minimal discomfort was imposed on voters and other stakeholders in its quest to ensure that the nation had credible and acceptable polls during the Edo, Ondo and other by-elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission will pilot the use of electronic voting machines at the earliest time possible towards full introduction of electronic voting in major elections in 2021.

The commission disclosed this in a policy document titled: “Policy on Conducting Elections in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” signed by its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, officially released on Monday.

The commission, however, clarified that such pilot scheme would not be used for Edo and Ondo States governorship elections scheduled for September 19, 2020 and October 10, 2020 respectively.

Yakubu also disclosed the decision to suspend the Continuous Registration of Voters for the time being to prevent the health risks associated with it in the context of COVID-19.

He stressed on the need to continue to make available INEC’s electronic channels for voters to check their registration status.

He said: “The Commission recognises the critical role that ICT will play in an electoral process that is being vastly reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the growing demands by Nigerians for the deepening of the use of technology in our elections.

“Consequently, the Commission shall continue to apply relevant, value-for-money technology in all aspects of the electoral process and election management.”

According to Yakubu, the policy also includes the creation of e-platforms for certain INEC activities, including accreditation of observer groups and deployment of their field observers.

He said activities to be conducted online also include submission of nomination forms by political parties for candidates, tracking and reporting of campaigns and campaign finance by or for candidates and political parties.

Others include submission of party agents lists by political parties, adding that in accreditation and deployment of observers, the Commission shall request and receive applications for election observation exclusively online.

He said: “Reduce the number of accredited observer groups based on past performance and compliance with Commission’s guidelines for election observation.

“This is to reduce crowding and therefore health risks at election venues. Reduce the number of field observers.”

On health issues, Yakubu noted that the most immediate challenge that COVID-19 poses to the electoral process was health-related.

He stated that in order to protect voters, election officials and other stakeholders in the electoral process, the commission shall implement some measures.

They include supply and use of infrared thermometers at the Registration Area Collation Centres, Local Government Area Collation Centres and State Collation Centres.

He added: “The use of face masks is mandatory for all involved in the election process and must be worn at all election locations.

“The Commission shall provide face masks for all election officials; and Alcohol-based hand sanitizers will be provided for election officials at the polling units.

“Methylated Spirit and cotton wool will be provided for the disinfection of the Smart Card Readers (SCRs) after the fingerprint of each voter is read.

“The rules of physical distancing shall be enforced at all election activities including stakeholder engagements, training, queuing at Polling Units, amongst others.”

Yakubu added that all protocols issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, State Committees on COVID-19 and other relevant health authorities should be observed by election officials and all stakeholders.

“The Commission shall work with the PTF and health authorities to have in place a system of voluntary COVID-19 testing for INEC staff before and after deploying for elections,” he said.

The INEC chairman added that the commission shall work with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and health authorities in the states having elections to develop a protocol for dealing with persons who show symptoms of COVID-19 at election venues.

He said: “Where an election official, a voter or any other person present at an election venue shows symptoms of COVID-19:
“The prevailing protocol shall be observed; the person must be isolated from other persons at the venue; the attention of the security personnel should be drawn;
“The dedicated number for COVID – 19 emergencies shall be called; and, if the affected person is an election official, the Commission must be notified through the Resident Electoral Commissioner.”