The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that there will be an improvement in the conduct of the 2023 General Elections from 2019 elections. INEC’s National Commissioner in Charge of Planning, Monitoring and Strategic Planning Committee (PMSC), Prof Rhoda Gumus, assured potential voters that the 2023 polls would be free, credible and reflect their expectations. She said this during a two-day workshop on Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) for Heads of Department (HODs) in the Commission, yesterday in Gombe State. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) sponsored the event.
According to the INEC Commissioner, all measures for free, fair and credible elections in 2023 were being put in place by the commission, part of which is the EMSC training for HODs.
She stated that the commission was optimistic that votes, in line with the expectations of voters, would count as witnessed in recent elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
“The 2023 elections will be more credible, fair and will be conclusive, that we assure Nigerians,” Gumus said. She said the workshop would focus on the review of EMSC indicators and build on the capacity of HODs on EMSC report validation.”
According to Gumus, no fewer than 60 officials of the Commission from Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Taraba, Plateau and Nasarawa states were being trained.
Ahead of the campaigns, the INEC national commissioner enjoined political parties to comply with the campaign rules and regulations.
Team Lead, Governance, Peace and Security (GPS), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr. Matthew Alao, said the training would help strengthen the capacity of INEC officials, as it was to ensure efficient planning and organisation, promote consistency and responsiveness, minimise delays while engendering confidence of the political actors in the electoral process.
“This workshop will also help to strengthen the capacities of the INEC officers to counter disinformation, reinforce assurance and credibility in the general election procedures.
“This informs UNDP’s partnership with INEC to organise and fund these series of workshop,” he said.