By Kazeem Akolawole
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials, including ad-hoc or collation personnel, who may have been engaged in misconduct during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly Elections would be punished.
This position was expressed by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Saturday in Abuja, at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs.
“As we approach the Governorship and State Assembly elections, we must work harder to overcome the challenges experienced in the last election. Nothing else will be acceptable to Nigerians.
“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,” he said.
Yakubu also told the RECs that Election Day logistics must be finalized days before the election and handled by the Electoral Officers EOs at Local Government level.
His words: “This has been our standard practice. Centralizing 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.”
Further according to Yakubu, refresher training must be conducted for ad hoc staff who participated in the last election. Where they are replaced for good reason, they must be properly trained so that processes are not delayed or compromised at any stage, he clarified.
Besides punishing culpable personnel the INEC chairman said that arising from the February 25 election, the Commission has received reports from its State offices well as complaints and petitions from political parties and candidates.
Where infractions of any kind are proven, there will be redress, he informed adding 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.
