The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has said the spate of pre-election litigations and conflicting court orders can impede the smooth conduct of primaries as well as the forthcoming governorship election in Edo state.
In a statement on Tuesday, Festus Okoye, INEC’s national commissioner for information and voter education, said the commission in a meeting deliberated on series of issues related to the governorship election.
He noted that the conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes, will end on June 27, 2020.
“In view of this and as part of its commitment to deepen the use of technology in elections, the commission will conduct a training programme for Liaison Officers nominated by all the registered Political Parties on the use of the INEC Portal for uploading nomination forms of candidates,” Okoye said.
“The training will take place at the Conference Hall of the Commission on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June 2020 in two batches, to allow for physical distancing in line with the COVID-19 protocols.
“Political Parties should note that the organisation and scheduling of various activities and processes leading to the conduct of elections are complex and involve extensive and careful planning and any disruption of these processes comes at a huge cost to the nation.
“The spate and tenor of pre-election litigations and the conflicting orders emanating therefrom can harm the smooth conduct of primaries and the upcoming elections.”
The commission is monitoring cases triggered by administration of political parties, conduct of primaries, and nomination of candidates at a close range.
Okoye also said the commission has considered the report from the meeting of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security (ICCES), which provided a code of conduct and rules of engagement for security officials on electoral duty.
The code, signed by the chairman of INEC, the national security adviser (NSA) as co-chairman of ICCES and the inspector-general of police (IGP), will be uploaded on the websites of INEC, the office of the NSA and the Nigeria police force on June 25, 2020.
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