INEC commences nationwide training of SPOs
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced two days nationwide training of Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) for forthcoming general elections.T
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, speaking to newsmen after addressing the SPOs in Abuja on Saturday said the training was a further reassurance of Nigerians of INEC readiness to conduct the election on Feb 25 and March 11.
- “Today we are commencing the training of the most critical staff for the 2023 general elections. Between today and tomorrow, we will train the PSOs.
“In the FCT we require 282 SPOs but we are training more than that no. We have added 70 to make it a total of 352 in case some are unable to make it on election day for one reason or another, we have a buffer.
“What is happening in FCT is happening in all the 36 days of the Federation at the same time.
“Between today Feb. 11 and tomorrow Feb. 12, we will train the SPOs. Then on Tuesday the Feb. 14 to Thursday Feb. 16, we will train the Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers (APO) 1, 2 and 3.”
Earlier addressing the SPOs, Yakubu urged the SPOs to be committed to their oath of neutrality and allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Nigerians.
He advised them not to see their job as service to INEC but to Nigeria and Nigerians, in which they are equal stakeholders.
“The commission is determined that the 2023 general election will be a best ever and you are the people that will help the commission to make it happen and help to ensure that Nigeria has a pleasant experience on election day.
“INEC is a political party. INEC has no candidate in the elections. Our only interested is the processes. The choice of who becomes what in Nigeria is left to the Nigeria people to decide.”
Yakubu described the work of the SPOs as critical to success of the 2023 general elections, hence the need to uphold the integrity of the process.
“You are the people who supervise those who will work at the most important level, the Polling Units level. That is the only place where voting take place.
“The collation officers are the polling units level are collating results from the Pus. When collation officers at the PU go to the local government level, they are collating results from the Pus.
“When go to the state level they are collating results from the Pus and when they come to Abuja, where we collate the presidential result it would have passed through all these processes.
“So by the time the results come to Abuja, Nigerians would have known the outcome of the election.
“Our responsibility is simply to collate. So you are playing very critical role. What will help you help the commission, help Nigerians and the electoral process is your Integrity as individuals.”
Yakubu said that the two days training was going on simultaneously in all state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Yakubu said that the SPOs would not only be trained, but be made to swear an oath of neutrality and allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria before they are deployed to the field.
The trainees in a chorus answer assured INEC chairman of their commitment to neutrality and credible elections in the course of carrying out their duties.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the Director-General of the Electoral Institute, Dr Sa’ad Idris described the training as critical to the success of the forthcoming general election.
Idris said that the INEC technical team would train the participants on both theoretical and practice aspect of the usage of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) that would be used for the election.
“Having the theoretical and practical training for the SPOs give them the opportunity to have all round view of the electoral process.
“The two real game game changers for this election is that yesterday, Friday we deployed the Learning Management System which is an online training platform, which the commission just approved.
“We have deployed that, made it available to SPOs to see. There are video, audio and text formats of it. We have done the animation and video clips that they can relax in their rooms and learn how to operate the BVAS.
“This is just the game changers. With BVAS we will have free, fair and credible elections.”