Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, on Tuesday administered the oath of office on Prof. Adeniran Tella as a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), urging him to uphold the highest standards of electoral integrity.

Amupitan, speaking at the swearing-in ceremony held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, stressed that the integrity of Nigeria’s elections remained non-negotiable, warning that any compromise on INEC’s core values would not be tolerated.

He described the appointment of Tella, who was reposted to Oyo State, as a “profound responsibility”, placing him at the forefront of the country’s democratic journey.

“Your role as a REC is absolutely critical to the success of this democratic project. I must be unequivocal and I admonish you that the integrity of our elections is non-negotiable.

“I charge you to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in every action you take,” he said.

Amupitan also urged the new REC to focus on transparency, strictly adhering to every guideline and procedure laid out by the commission and the Electoral Act.

According to him, INEC has a moral and legal obligation to ensure that the electoral system is above reproach, adding that any misconduct, whether by omission or commission, will not be accepted.

“Your primary goal must be to instill in the voters of your state the confidence that their choice truly counts. We are resolved to combat all forms of election rigging, including the menace of vote-buying,” he stated.

Amupitan urged Tella to work collaboratively with the commission’s staff members to ensure that his state becomes “a beacon of hope and democratic values”.

In his remarks, the new REC pledged to uphold professionalism and be strictly guided by the Electoral Act and the Constitution, assuring the INEC Chairman that the will of the people would be protected.

He said that his years of experience in public administration and the electoral process had equipped him with strong organisational planning and problem-solving skills.

Tella pledged to operate an open-door policy and maintain integrity at every stage of the electoral process, especially in result management, which he acknowledged as a grey area during elections.

“I will ensure that the implementation of the result management system is going to be topnotch in any state I will be assigned to,” he said.

The new REC identified the key components to include: real-time transmission and public display of results from the poll, training, re-training and monitoring of election officials to uphold neutrality and professionalism.

Tella, whose appointment is the second and last as REC, highlighted the need for increased sensitisation for the continuous voter registration, especially for people in remote parts of the country.

On the challenge of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), he stressed the need for pre-election test management, strengthening of backups and engaging cyber-security experts to mitigate threats. (NAN)

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