The Independent National Electoral Commission has restated confidence in its level of preparedness to conduct credible elections at all levels next year. The Commission through its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye said on Friday that INEC was comfortable with the level of preparations for the 2023 general elections, giving assurances that never again will scheduled elections be postponed or rescheduled on account of logistics and logistics challenge.

The electoral body also intends to organise a nationwide mock accreditation of voters to test the BVAS that would be used for the February 2023 elections. Already, a reasonable number of the equipment was available in the country while the remaining ones would arrive in December this year.

Speaking with Editors and Bureau Chiefs of major media organisations in the country, Mr. Okoye said all other activities relating to claims, objections and complaints on the display of voters register will be entertained at the various offices of the Commission in the 774 Local Government Areas of the Federation and on the Commission’s website: “We will harvest all the claims, objections and complaints and carefully and objectively deal with them. The whole essence of the display is for Nigerians to double check the register and assist the Commission put in place a robust, comprehensive, and acceptable register”.

He explained that “While it is important to use the social media to point out errors, issues and challenges in the register, the correction of the errors and removal of malicious registrations must follow the procedure and sequence outlined in section 19 and 20 of the Electoral Act, 2022. We urge members of the public to approach our Revision Officers for assistance in making their claims, objections, and complaints. We also encourage members of the public to visit the Commission’s website and follow the protocols outlined therein in making their claims”.

He reiterated that “the BVAS and IREV have come to stay. The use of the BVAS and IREV are legal requirements, and the Commission is irrevocably committed to their use in the 2023 general election. Section 47(2) of the Electoral Act makes it mandatory that to vote the Presiding Officer shall use a smart card reader or any other technological device that may be prescribed by the Commission for the accreditation of voters to verify, confirm or authenticate the particulars of the intending voter in the manner prescribed by the Commission. The use of the BVAS is mandatory and it is not an option of charity”.

He said the BVAS was a creation of INEC which it took to that National Assembly to be included in the Electoral Act adding that it has been successfully used in Anambra, Edo, Ekiti, Osun states and 105 bye elections in the country.

Mr. Okoye said the Commission has concluded plans on the printing of ballot papers. He said to avoid constitutional crisis, the Commission would be using reversed logistics by printing the 93 million ballot papers needed for the Presidential election and another 93 million ballot papers needed for a second election should a clear constitutional winner not emerge after the first ballot.

Relying on Section 134 to justify why the Commission has to be proactive, Mr. Okoye read the relevant section to journalists;
“A candidate for an election to the office of President shall be deemed to have be been duly elected, where, there being only two candidates for the election –
“(a) he has the majority of votes cast at the election; and “(b) he has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“(2) A candidate for an election to the office of President shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being more than two candidates for the election- “(a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and “(b) he has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“(3) In a default of a candidate duly elected in accordance with subsection (2) of this section their shall be a second election in accordance with subsection (4) of this section at which the only candidate shall be – “(a) the candidate who scored the highest number of votes at any election held in accordance with the said subsection (2) of this section; and “(b) one among the remaining candidates who has a majority of votes in the highest number of States, so however that where there are more than one candidate with majority of votes in the highest number of States, the candidate among them with the highest total of votes cast at the election shall be the second candidate for the election.

“(4) In default of a candidate duly elected under the foregoing subsections, the Independent National Electoral Commission shall within seven days of the result of the election held under the said subsections, arrange for an election between the two candidates and a candidate at such election shall be deemed elected to the office of President if – “(a) he has a majority of votes cast at the election; and “(b) he has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

“(5) In default of a candidate duly elected under subsection (4) of this section, the Independent National Electoral Commission shall, within seven days of the result of the election held under the aforesaid subsection “(4), arrange for another election between the two candidates to which the subsection relates and a candidate at such election shall be deemed to have been duly elected to the office of President, if he has a majority of the votes cast at the election.

Section 134 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Responding to a question on the removal of the Commission’s ICT director, Mr Okoye said the deployment was within the administrative competence of the Commission stressing that some directors had to be posted out to be Resident Electoral Commissioners when the leadership of the Commission was not too sure whether the National Assembly was going to clear them.

Below is the full text of Mr. Okoye’s keynote address.

“Assurance
We assure all Nigerians that the processes and procedures as well as the preparations for the conduct of the 2023 general election are on course. Out of the 14 items in our Timetable and Schedule of Activities, we have implemented 9 and we implemented all of them on schedule.

“We are comfortable with the level of our preparations and as the Chairman of the Commission has assured the nation, never again will scheduled elections be postpone or rescheduled on account of logistics and logistics challenges.
On the Display of the Preliminary Voters

” Register
The Commission will continue to be open and transparent in the management and running of the elections.

“We recognise and acknowledge the fact that election business is public business, and we will continue to seek the cooperation and partnership of all the critical stakeholders as we move to the last lap of our preparations for the election.

The Display of the Preliminary Register of Voters for claims and objections at the Registration Areas end today and all other activities relating to claims, objections and complaints will be entertained at the various offices of the Commission in the 774 Local Government Areas of the Federation and on the Commissions website.

“We will harvest all the claims, objections and complaints and carefully and objectively deal with them. The whole essence of the display is for Nigerians to double check the register and assist the Commission put in place a robust, comprehensive, and acceptable register.

“While it is important to use the social media to point out errors, issues and challenges in the register, the correction of the errors and removal of malicious registrations must follow the procedure and sequence outlined in section 19 and 20 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

” We urge members of the public to approach our Revision Officers for assistance in making their claims, objections, and complaints. We also encourage members of the public to visit the Commissions website and follow the protocols outlined therein in making their claims.

“On PVC Collection
The Commission has worked out, approved, and adopted the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for PVC collection. The Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu will in the next few weeks outline the fine details of the SOP.

The Commission will ensure the seamless collection of Permanent Voters Cards by all eligible registrants. We assure all Nigerians that the PVCs of those that registered between the 15th of January 2022 and July 31st, 2022, will be ready this month and the Chairman will give the exact date for collection. All those that registered within this period as well as all those that carried out transfer and those that applied for replacement will get their cards.

Nigerians will have sufficient time for PVC collection. No Nigerian that validly and genuinely registered will be denied the opportunity of collecting his or her Permanent Voters Card. We plead that Nigerians should not wait till the 11th hour before approaching our Local Government Offices and the Wards for PVC collection.

“On the BVAS and IREV
The Chairman of the Commission has assured Nigerians that the BVAS and IREV have come to stay. The use of the BVAS and IREV are legal requirements, and the Commission is irrevocably committed to their use in the 2023 general election. Section 47(2) of the Electoral Act makes it mandatory that to vote the Presiding Officer shall use a smart card reader or any other technological device that may be prescribed by the Commission for the accreditation of voters to verify, confirm or authenticate the particulars of the intending voter in the manner prescribed by the Commission. The use of the BVAS is mandatory and it is not an option of charity.

“The Commission will also transmit polling unit level results in real time. The transmission is also mandatory as provided in section 64(4) of the Electoral Act. We canvassed for the inclusion of the BVAS and the Electronic Transmission of Results in the Electoral Act. We have a responsibility to keep faith with our won innovations aimed at the conduct of transparent elections driven and propelled by technology.

“The State of Local Government Offices
We assure Nigerians that the Commission is working hard to deliver free, fair, acceptable, and inclusive election in 2023. To this end, the Commission has carried out and is still carrying out major and minor renovation of its Local Government Offices preparatory to their receiving make up non-sensitive materials required for the conduct of the election. Prior to this period, the Commission audited the materials in the said offices to establish reusable ones. The Commission has relocated to other offices and buildings in areas severely affected by flood and in areas where the offices of the Commission was completely burnt. Electoral activities are continuing in all our offices nationwide.
On Security

“The Commission is working with the various security agencies in election security. We are mapping levels of threats and risks and sharing our findings with the various security agencies. The Commission has received assurances from the various security agencies that Nigeria will be safe for election as measures have been put in place to ensure a free and hitch-free election.

“Cooperation and Partnership
The Commission is committed to delivering on its mandate. Our allegiance will remain the people of Nigeria. We seek the cooperation and partnership of the media in the task of conducting an election that Nigerians will be proud of.
Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola,Director, Legal Drafting &Clearance and Dr. Lawrence Bayode presented two papers at the roundtable meeting with the Bureau Chiefs.