By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja
The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has tasked the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to stop lamenting, criticising and condemning the political situation in Nigeria but should get involved in the process that will midwife a new Nigeria of everybody’s dream.
This is even as Yakubu has assured the CSOs that the Commission will continue to work with all stakeholders in the efforts to clean up the process that will lead to a credible elections in Nigeria.
The INEC Chairman who spoke in Abuja at the First Quarterly Meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the Year 2022 held at INEC Conference Room on Wednesday, insists that CSOs are critical stakeholders especially to sensitise the society to key into the activities of the Commission.
Said he: “We (INEC) will continue to work with all stakeholders, especially the Civil Society Organisations, to sensitise the youths and other categories of voters to ensure that beyond registration, they come and out and vote on Election Day”.
“We should not simply lament, criticize and condemn. We must get involved for the good of our democracy and the nation”.
Speaking further Yakubu said: “The Commission looks forward to the support of CSOs to encourage voters who wish to transfer from their present Polling Units to new ones created as part of the Commission’s expansion of access polling units across the country”.
“After all, the support of CSOs was crucial to the success of the recent expansion of voter access to polling units for the first time in 25 years since the initial delimitation in 1996”.
Meanwhile, the INEC Boss has disclosed that: “For all elections going forward, Polling Unit results will be uploaded in real-time on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal”.
He however said: “For emphasis, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed in the FCT elections which is the second major election after the Anambra Governorship election held in November last year. The 68 constituencies in the FCT (six Chairmen and 62 Councillors) covering extensive urban and rural locations sharing border with five States in the North Central and North Western parts of the country is another opportunity to pilot the efficacy of the BVAS in a different geographical, geo-political and electoral context.
Yakubu insists that the same technology will be deployed in all forthcoming bye-elections across the country, adding that the year 2022 is going to be a very busy year for the Commission and Civil Society Organisations.
“The 2023 General Election is just 395 days away. Critical preparations must be concluded this year”, he stated.
