Edo 2024: Confusion as INEC Rejects APC and LP Submissions Over Digital Submission Failures
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the polling and collation agent submissions from the Labour Party (LP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) for the upcoming Edo State governorship election due to non-compliance with digital submission requirements.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced this decision during a meeting with political parties in Abuja on Thursday. He reiterated the commission’s commitment to a fully digital electoral process, stating that the manual submission method is now obsolete. He stressed that political parties must adhere to the new digital standards for their submissions.
Despite having access to training sessions and a help desk, many parties, including APC, LP, and ADP, did not meet the digital criteria, particularly regarding the quality of images for agents at various levels. The APC, LP, and ADP each had over 3,000 agents disqualified, while the PDP had the fewest, with only 141 disqualified agents.
Prof. Yakubu noted that while observer groups and media organizations have successfully complied with the digital requirements, political parties need to follow suit to ensure smooth election day operations. Only agents meeting INEC’s standards will receive accreditation tags.
To further ensure readiness, INEC will conduct a mock accreditation exercise on September 10, 2024, to test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. This test will be held across 12 polling units in six Local Government Areas, covering all three senatorial districts of Edo State.
This step highlights INEC’s push to modernize Nigeria’s electoral system despite challenges from parties struggling with the digital transition.
