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From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Cross River state has conducted a training of 1, 914 adhoc staff ahead of Ogoja/Yala federal constituency and Akpabuyo State constituency by- elections scheduled for February 26, 2021.
The electoral umpire also spelt out some processes and guidelines for the elections to eligible voters in the Ogoja/Gala and Akpabuyo areas.
In a statement signed by, Dr. Cyril Omorogbe and Mrs Irene N. Nghuma, the state resident electoral commissioner and administrative secretary respectively, and made available journalists in Calabar, the Commission said the training focused on polling and counting procedures and other election processes.
It said the training tagged “the train the trainer”, was for supervisory presiding officers, SPOs, drawn from federal establishments/institutions in compliance with INEC guidelines in preparation for Ogoja/Yala Federal constituency and the Akpanuyo state constituency by-elections.
The statement reads in part: “The training focused on polling and counting procedures and other election processes.
“The two day training, organised by the Electoral Institute TEI with the objective of providing the SPOs with electoral skills and knowledge to be able to cascade the training to Presiding Officers,POs and Assistant Presiding Officers, APOs, and act as Supervisory Presiding Officers in the by-elections.
“All eligible voters whose names appeared in the INEC Register 2019 are qualified to participate in the forthcoming bye-election in Ogoja/Yala federal constituency and Akpabuyo State Constituency which is scheduled to hold on Saturday February 26, 2022.
“Biometrics Voters Authentication System BVAS will be used for accreditation. Accreditation and Voting will take place simultaneously between 8 o’clock in the morning to 2:30 in the afternoon.”
The statement further noted that new registrants who enrolled from when the Continuous Voter Registration CVR commenced in June 2021 till date should note that they cannot vote in this election, adding that the date for collection of PVCs nationwide will be announced by the Commission
The Commission assured that it will follow all protocols of COVID-19 in these elections.
Speking at the event, the Head of Electoral Operations, INEC Cross River State, Mr. Fred Emezu, said the participants were equipped with new technology of Bimodal Voter Authentication System BVAS device which will be unveiled to the participants and voters in the State for conduct of elections for the first time”.
Also speaking, the Director General, TEI, represented by Mr. Ifeanyi Agoha, advised the participants not to be partisan in the discharge of their duties.
