The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, led a monitoring team to assess preparations for the February 21 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The team observed a mock accreditation exercise in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Bwari Area Council, testing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and voting processes.
Prof. Amupitan stressed the importance of strict adherence to the training manual for Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), emphasizing the need for uniformity in election conduct across all area councils. He noted that the mock exercise aimed to test the functionality of the BVAS and improve the electoral process. “Your trainer is teaching you based on a manual that has been carefully prepared to guide the process and ensure uniformity. As SPOs, you already know your statutory duties,” he said, urging them to study the manual thoroughly and understand its contents.
Training of Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) for FCT Area Council Election
The INEC Chairman expressed satisfaction with the BVAS performance, citing quick voter accreditation and prevention of multiple accreditation attempts. He confirmed that logistics were in place, with non-sensitive materials deployed and Presiding Officer training scheduled to commence soon.”We have improved on the BVAS, and we do not want to use the main election as a testing ground. This mock accreditation and mock voting exercise allows us to test and further improve the system,” he said.
Prof. Amupitan stressed the importance of strict adherence to the training manual for Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), emphasizing the need for uniformity in election conduct across all area councils. He noted that the mock exercise aimed to test the functionality of the BVAS and improve the electoral process. “Your trainer is teaching you based on a manual that has been carefully prepared to guide the process and ensure uniformity. As SPOs, you already know your statutory duties,” he said, urging them to study the manual thoroughly and understand its contents.
The INEC Chairman reiterated that civic education is part of INEC’s mandate, but voter mobilization and campaigning remain the responsibility of political parties. He emphasized that Nigeria is in dire need of a stable and credible electoral system, and INEC is committed to achieving this goal.
