By Joy Odor
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu on Saturday inspected International Conference Centre (ICC) for the collation of votes for the 2023 general election and the training centre for INEC’s Ad-hoc Staff.
Prof Yakubu who inspected tour were NYSC was training as Ad-hoc Staff, Presiding Officers at Government Secondary School Garki, Abuja and at ICC, informed that the choice made by Nigerians come 25th of this month for the next President and the National Assembly of the country would be announced at the ICC Abuja, hence the imperative to ensure all necessary measures are put in place.
The INEC Chairman who expressed the commission’s readiness for the conduct of the election noted his satisfaction with progress made and, opined that the commission has been given assurance by security agencies to secure the polling environment across the country.
“The 2023 general election is here. By this time next week, Nigerians will be voting in over 176,000 polling units of that process for presidential election. The choice made by Nigerians for the next president of the country will also be announced at this venue,” he said.
“We will perform basically three activities in this ICC. First, there is a hall that will serve as a media centre for national, and international observers. We will have our own briefing with international and local observers on Tuesday”.
“The Media center will be for press briefing where mini studios and Outside Broadcast Vans would be allowed to monitor results by the various media houses that would be given accreditation.
“The other hall will serve as the Collation Centre for the Presidential election and then beside the hall, it will be our Situation Room where we deploy our platforms; the INEC Citizens Contact Centre. The Situation room will have ad-hoc staff to monitor and respond to complaints from people in the field and it room would be open for everyone.
“While we’ll deploy our platforms, call it citizens contact centre, where citizens can ask questions, respond to issues or challenges in the field, and will be able to in turn, also respond speedily to give citizens a happy voting experience.
“So this is basically what we have for the media. There will be a place earmarked for those who wish to set up studios to be able to do so. And those of you who wish to bring your outside broadcasting bands will also accredit to bring your outside broadcasting vans” he said.
On the inspection of training center for Presiding Officers, INEC Chairman maintained that NYSC are going to operate at the most important level of the electoral system; at the polling unit levels.
According to Prof Yakubu, the NYSC loyalty is to Nigeria and Nigerians and not to any political party or any candidate.
“You will be the INEC Chairman at your polling unit. You are the King at the polling units. loyalty is to Nigeria and Nigerians and not to any political party or any candidate.
“There is no way INEC can conduct elections without the NYSC. You are simply indispensable in the conduct of elections in Nigeria. We cannot conduct elections with our workforce alone.
“So we have to rely on you and other categories of staff. But you are going to operate at the most important level of the electoral system; at the polling unit levels because that is where citizens go and vote.
“All of you will swear an oath of neutrality. Your loyalty is to Nigeria and Nigerians and not to any political party or any candidate. You will be the INEC Chairman at your polling unit. You are the King at the polling units.
“You are the only ones that will handle the BVAS at polling units on election day. Take this job seriously. We are tracking you as well so that we can know who is holding which BVAS. Do not give this BVAS to someone else” INEC boss stressed.
