The Independent National Electoral Commission has expressed dissatisfaction over political parties’ inability to substantially comply with the commission’s regulations, by submitting the list of their agents ahead of the November 11 Governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo State, despite notice and subsequent reminders.
INEC made this known in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman, the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, while giving an update on preparations for the governorship elections, on Sunday.
According to the commission, all political parties were notified of the opening of the INEC online portal for the upload of the list of polling units and collation centre agents, which commenced on Thursday 24th August 2023.
The electoral umpire also noted that thereafter, it engaged party representatives on the methodology for a seamless process of the exercise.
Olumekun in the statement, said: “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,” Olumekun said.
He however reminded political parties that the portal will automatically shut down at midnight on Tuesday 10th October, 2023.
