- Warns against unethical practices during the Polls
By Tolúlopé Olátúnjí
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has reiterated the exhibition of professionalism, competence by election personnel in order to ensure successful conduct of elections.
Yakubu stated this notion on Monday at a lecture, in Abuja in honour of a late former Director General of The Electoral Institute, late Prof. Abubakar Momoh, which centered on “The 2024 Off-Cycle Elections: Achieving Professionalism Among Election Personnel Through Effective Training”.
The lecture is coming on the heels of the upcoming Edo and Ondo off-cycle governorship elections slated for September 21 and November 16, 2024, respectively.
In his lecture, Yakubu noted that professionalism is essential for maintaining democratic integrity and voter confidence, which directly impacts voter turnout.
The INEC chief, who was represented by the
Chairman of the Board of Electoral Institute, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, underscored the need for election staff to be well-trained and skilled.
He said: “The success of any election largely depends on the professionalism and competence of those responsible for election matters.”
He explained further: “ It is important that our personnel for these elections are knowledgeable, skilled, and well-equipped with relevant competencies to handle the complexities and challenges of the electoral process.”
According to the INEC boss, it is very important to recognize the fact that the voters must be treated with respect, stressing that unethical practices by election officials would face strict penalties. He also outlined key principles for election officials, including integrity, impartiality, transparency, and sensitivity to gender, disability, and vulnerable groups.
Yakubu said: “To ensure the credibility and trustworthiness in our elections and build trust among the electorates, it is imperative that we prioritise the professional development of our election personnel.”
In his keynote speaker, Director of the Mac Arthur Foundation and member of the Board of the Electoral Institute,Kole Shettima advocated for the integration of civic education into the training curriculum for INEC staff .
Shettima stressed that understanding civic duties, democracy, and the history of elections is crucial for election officials, alongside technical training.
Shettima explained that a revamp or overhaul of the curricula of training of election officials to include civic duties, the history of elections, democracy, integrity and accountability of election officials, the role of INEC, credible elections, among others, in addition to the technical processes and procedures, is crucial to the success of INEC.
“Physical screening should be conducted before ad-hoc staff are recruited and deployed. This will present a more robust check against the recruitment and deployment of unqualified persons. It is advised to recruit in partnership with institutions instead of recruiting as individuals,” he added
To the organizers of the lecture, the event marks a significant step in preparations toward the upcoming Edo and Ondo elections, respectively.
