Off-cycle Guber Polls: Parties Yet to Substantially Comply

*INEC still awaiting list of agent

sAdedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said political parties were yet to substantially comply by submitting the list of their agents ahead of the November 11 governorship elections holding in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States despite notice and subsequent reminders.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement yesterday while giving an update on preparations for governorship elections.

He said the commission notified all political parties of the opening of its online portal for the upload of the list of polling units and collation centre agents, which commenced on Thursday 24th August 2023, and thereafter engaged party representatives on the methodology for a seamless process.

“However, despite this notice and subsequent reminders, political parties are yet to substantially comply by submitting the list of their agents. For Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States, only 55% of the expected total of 189,180 polling unit agents have been uploaded to the designated INEC Portal.  
“Specifically, 29,278 out of the expected 40,372 (72.5%) for Bayelsa State; 51,681 out of 85,644 (60.3%) for Imo, and 23,720 out of 63,144 (37.6%) for Kogi State have been uploaded.

“Similarly, only 25.1% of the expected 15,804 Collation Agents in the three States have been uploaded: 1,246 (26.0%) out of 4,806 for Bayelsa; 1,638 (27.3%) out of 5,994 for Imo, and 1,095 (21.9%) out of 5,004 for Kogi State.”

The Commission further reminded political parties that the portal would automatically shut down at 12:00 midnight on Tuesday 10th October 2023, adding that there would be no extension, warning that all parties sponsoring candidates for the elections that were yet to upload the list of their agents should do so before the deadline for the exercise.

The commission also revealed that the online accreditation of Journalists commenced on 24th August 2023 and would close on 22nd October 2023, saying45 media organisations had applied for accreditation so far.