… urges observers to play by the rules
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has warned citizens who don’t have anything to do with polling units on election day to stay away from the voting site as it also urged all local and international observers to play by the electoral rules and not to interfer with the voting processes, stating that international observers must be guided by the fact that the election is conducted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria whose sovereignty must be respected.
Prof Yakubu who made the call at the briefing for Accredited Election Observers for the election in Abuja on Tuesday reminded the observers that there is a code of conduct for election observation.
The electoral umpire reiterated that, citizens should not go to vote if they don’t have PVCs.
He said: “You must be duly accredited before you cast your votes and you must be in the queue. Don’t be unruly, cast your votes and observe without causing problems. If you don’t have accreditation to voting site, don’t go near site”.
INEC further explained that, all PVCs will be ascertained by the Biomedical Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines be any individual would be allowed to cast their votes.
“Your PVC will have to be a ascertained by the BVAS machines before you can vote. If your PVC cannot be ascertained then you cannot vote. It’s a matter of law and it is spelt out in the law.
“Commission will provide assistant voting devices for physically challenged individuals or arrangements will be made for them to take person of their choices to assist them vote.
“Priority will be given to physically challenged, visibly pregnant and nursing mothers and the aged”.
The chairman also noted that, at the end of voting, the presiding officer will declare voting closed and will also cancel all unused ballot papers. Crosscheck and sign before finally taking a photograph of EC8A and paste on the polling unit. That is what would be transmitted to the collation center. Phones and any other equipment would not be allowed in the voting cubicle.
On the issue of access to voting site, the chairman said that, only accredited voters, INEC officials, security agents, accredited polling agents accredited observers and journalists are the people that would be granted access although depending on rules guiding each group.
To all observers, he urged them not interfere in the voting processes and to respect the culture, tradition, religion and customs of your area of deployment and also to comply with all security directives.
He urged them to be comprehensive and accurate in observation and reportage of electoral processes, adding that they should keep to the rules, warning that the implication is that all accredited observers are INEC guests.
The chairman informed that the commission has accredited 196 national or domestic groups that are collectively deploying 144,800 observers.
Similarly, the commission accredited 33 international organisations deploying 2,113 observers. In all, 229 groups are deploying 146,913 observers for the 2023 General Election.
“This is the largest deployment of domestic and international observers in the history of elections in Nigeria” he said.
Prof Yakubu affirmed that the briefing for observers is keeping with international best practice.
“I wish to remind observers that there is a code of conduct for election observation. You are by definition observers. Do not interfere with the process or show partisanship”‘ he added.
