INEC accredits 60 Observer groups in Anambra

Mr Uchekachukwu Ibe, the Head of Department, Election Party and Monitoring, INEC, made the disclosure in Awka during a briefing of accredited observers and political party agents in Anambra.

He said that a total number of 3,156 observers would be working under the 60 accredited observers to monitor the elections in the state.

Ibe said that the observers were expected to perform their monitoring roles in compliance with the electoral rules that regulated their operations.

Observers or monitors are expected to quietly observe or monitor the electoral process and report any misgiving to INEC officer on ground or security agents.

It is the duty of the INEC official only to communicate such observation to the proper quarter for action on any reports received during or after the elections.

No other body is empowered to do so, the INEC official said.

He said that observers or party agents were forbidden to take action by acting in overzealous manner during their electoral monitoring.

Ibe said that nobody was allowed to announce the result but could put down whatever votes announced by the presiding officers at the polling units and then wait for the announcement of results from appropriate body.

The INEC official said that distribution of election tags to observers and party agents would be made available from 9am on Feb. 14 and urged all involved to be available for collection.

Mr Charles Mbanaja, the Administrative Secretary of INEC in Anambra, said that the electoral umpire was fully ready to conduct free fair and transparent elections on Feb. 16 and March 2andurged the stakeholders to abide by the rules. He said that the commission performed well in the 2015 general elections and assured them that in spite of challenges facing the state office, it was resolved to perform optimally.

Mbanaja urged the players in the electoral process to see the elections as a duty owed to the nation and avoid violence or activities that would lead to violence.

He assured the populace that the fire incident that occurred on its premises on Feb.12 would not affect the election noting that all election materials gutted by fire had been replaced.

Also, Mr Innocent Ekwulu, Head of Department, Operations, said that the commission had planned the movement of both sensitive and non sensitive materials in a manner that would ensure smooth conduct of the elections.

He said that plans had been concluded to move human and non human materials promptly in order to aid smooth conduct of elections and assured that by 7.30am the various polling units and voting points would be ready for voting process.

Mrs Helen Chukwuemeka , Head of ICT, said that commission was ready to do its part in ensuring smooth election and urged the stakeholders to educate the public on effective way of handling the voter card.

She said that INEC voter authentication system was operational and that any card not from the commission would not function on the card reader.

Similarly, Mr Dandaura Mustapha, Anambra Police Commissioner, said that the command was fully ready for the election.

Mustapha, who was represented at the forum by Mr Arikpo Ofem, a Superintendent of Police, said that the command would enforce all rules as it relates to their orders in elections coverage.

He said that the command would deal with any infraction of electoral law by any person or group and assured that it wont be intimidated by personality or office.