The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said political parties participating in the September 21 Edo governorship elections did not comply with requirements for nomination of polling and collation agents.

According to the commission, the details of the agents uploaded to the portal for the Edo State election showed compliance issues with regard to the quality of uploads, particularly as they relate to the images of Polling Unit, Ward and Local Government agents.

The INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, stated these at an extraordinary meeting with political parties under the umbrella of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) ahead of the Edo governorship, in Abuja yesterday.

Yakubu declared that there was no going back to the manual process as the digital procedure has come to stay, saying INEC had in consultation with the political parties, replaced the manual approach for the submission of the list of agents with a digital platform.

He insisted that political parties must follow the process as the commission will only produce tags for uploads that meet the requirements of its regulations and guidelines.

The Professor of History said the commission was determined to ensure that political parties’ agents at polling units and collation centres must be identified by name and their photographs clearly printed on their accreditation tags duly authorised by INEC.

“This problem cuts across all political parties despite the fact that this is not being done for the first time. And in keeping with our practice before major elections, we trained officials nominated by political parties. We also set up a Help Desk in the event of any political party needing assistance.

“I want to emphasise that there will be no going back to the manual process. It is gone for good. Already, observer groups and media organisations are in full compliance with the digital procedure. Political parties cannot be an exception. You must do the needful instead of constantly complaining of shortfalls in the number of accreditation tags supplied for your agents.

“We will only produce tags for uploads that meet the requirements of our regulations and guidelines. The Commission is determined that your agents at Polling Units and Collation Centres must be identified by name and their photographs clearly printed on their accreditation tags duly authorised by the Commission.

“We have also added a QR Code to each tag for easy authentication and verification of your agents at the polling and collation centres. Matters arising from the recent uploads will be discussed at this meeting.”

Yakubu disclosed that the candidates and leaders of the political parties will be signing the Peace Accord for the Edo State Governorship election on September 12 in Benin City.

He said the accord signing under the leadership of the chairman, the National Peace Committee (NPC) and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar will be preceded by INEC Stakeholders meeting on September 11 also in Benin City and addressed by himself and the Inspector-General of Police.

The chairman said, unlike the previous peace accords signed a few days to the election, the Edo one will be done early to enable the Peace Committee monitor compliance with the code voluntarily signed by parties, candidates and other critical players in the electoral process such as INEC and the security agencies during the remaining days to the election.

Yakubu also disclosed that so far, no political party has submitted to the commission the dates and locations of its major campaign rallies and processions but some of them were quick to complain of incidents when they occur.

He urged political parties to continue to maintain decorum and civility in their campaigns and fully comply with the commission’s regulations and guidelines for the conduct of rallies and processions.

In his remarks, the IPAC chairman, Yusuf Dantalle said the council will collaborate with INEC in discharging its civic duty of voter education, sensitisation and mobilisation for the upcoming Edo and Ondo polls.

“As Nigerians and the international community expect improved elections, we urge INEC to remain neutral as an umpire and ensure its election materials are adequate and ready for the tasks ahead, particularly the BVAS and IReV portals.

“Certainly, the integrity of INEC is at stake. The commission should justify the confidence citizens reposed in it to conduct free, fair, credible, transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections,” he added.