Nigerians in Diaspora offer to train INEC staff for efficiency

 

Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, NIDO have expressed the desire to collaborate with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to train its personnel to deliver value to Nigeria during elections.

NIDO equally advised that the INEC and other critical stakeholders in the election process take urgent action to address the lapses identified in the February 25, 2023 election with a view to improving the conduct of subsequent elections, including the upcoming March 11th, 2023 Governorship and States Assembly elections so as to restore the electorate’s confidence in the electoral system and INEC.

Addressing journalists in Jos on Saturday, Dr. Ezekiel Macham, Chairman, NIDO – Americas and Dr. Bashir Obasekola – Chairman, NIDO-Europe pointed the lapses of INEC in the just concluded election and blamed them largely on the “tardiness of INEC officials.”

Macham who read the text, noted, “NIDO Worldwide deployed observers to polling units in some selected towns and locations in different States and geopolitical zones of the country. These

include Lagos, Ogun, Enugu, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Cross Rivers, Delta, and Edo

states, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“Of the polling units observed nationwide, it was a mixture of punctuality and lateness in

the opening and starting of the voting exercise. The tardiness of INEC officials was largely responsible for the lateness in the commencement of voting in many of these places. At all the polling units we observed, polling officials and materials did not arrive at the scheduled commencement time of 8.30 AM.

"“For example, in Jos South and Bokkos LGAs of Jos, Plateau State, with the earliest recorded at 9:30 AM and the latest at 11:30 AM. The affected polling units include Takai 1 (002), Takai 2 (011), Primary School, Kunet (004), Mabel (011) and Bokkos Butura Government Girls College (015). Ditto for PU 025 in Oshimili LGA of Delta State opposite Asaba Specialist Hospital) where INEC officials showed up at 11:18 AM.

“At Chevron 087 in Lekki, PU 105 (Carlton Estate) and PU 106 (Northern Foreshore) in Lagos State, INEC officials arrived between 10:10 AM and 12 noon. Our observers also reported that INEC officials arrived late at PU 060 at Mechanic Village near Redemption Camp and PU 11 at the palace of Olugbein Obafemi Owode Local Government, Ogun State, where voting did not commence until midday…”

He added, “It was however observed that in Butura Ward 2, Bokkos, a substantial number of registered voters were transferred to another polling unit without their knowledge and they only discovered it on election day after arriving at the polling unit. The majority of them were transferred to polling units that were not within walking distance and there was no public transportation to convey them to their newly assigned polling units…

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