Fix major challenges identified during Feb 25 polls, NBA tells INEC

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that all irregularities identified during the February 25 elections are sorted before the conduct of the governorship elections.

Governorship and state houses of assembly elections have been fixed for March 11.

In a statement on Wednesday, Akorede Habeeb-Lawal, spokesperson of the NBA, said staff of the electoral commission who defaulted on February 25 should be exempted from participating in the forthcoming polls.

“The NBA urges INEC to ensure that all bugs or glitches in the BVAS machines and other election technology are fixed and improved,” he said.

“All  INEC staff, including collation and returning officers, with proven cases of misconduct in the Feb. 25 elections should be excluded from the  March 11 elections.”

The association asked the electoral body to address major challenges such as “late arrival of INEC officials and ballot materials at the polling stations, and limited or non-transmission of the results from the polling units to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV)”.

The NBA called on the inspector-general of police (IGP) to make sure that police officers are deployed on time before the commencement of voting.

Political parties were also advised to inform their supporters and members of the need to refrain from any behaviour that might violate the Election Act.

Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairperson, in a meeting with resident electoral commissioners (RECs) in Abuja on Saturday, admitted that a number of issues ranging from technology, delay by election officials, and attitudes of political parties’ agents jeopardised the outcome of the February 25 elections.

He said officials responsible for the infractions would not be involved in the gubernatorial poll and would face disciplinary actions.