C/River by-election: INEC trains 1,914 ad-hoc staff

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has trained over 1,914 ad-hoc staff in preparation for the February 26 Ogoja/Yala federal constituency and Akpabuyo state constituency by-elections in Cross River State.

This was contained in a statement signed by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Cyril Omorogbe, and the administrative secretary, Irene Nghuma, and made available to journalists in Calabar, the state capital, on Wednesday.

“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.

“Remember that only your permanent voter’s card (PVC) is your power to vote. Please note that PVC no matter the year issued does not expire.

“However, 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. The date for the collection of PVCs nationwide will be announced by the commission. INEC will follow all protocols of COVID-19 in these elections,” the commissioner assured.

Read also: INEC to fix BVAS, other impediments before 2023 polls

Meanwhile, ahead of the said elections, the commission has already commenced the training of a total of 1,914 ad-hoc staff for the elections, the administrative secretary, Irene N. Nghuma, also said,

“The train the trainer (TOT), for supervisory presiding officers (SPOs), who are drawn from federal establishments/institutions in compliance with INEC guidelines in preparation for Ogoja/Yala federal constituency and the Akpanuyo state constituency bye-elections scheduled for February 26, 2022, commenced from February 14, 2022.

She also said, “the training will focus on polling and counting procedures and other election processes.”

She said the training was being organised by the Electoral Institute with the objective of providing the SPOs with electoral skills and knowledge to be able to cascade the training to presiding officers and assistant presiding officers and act as supervisory presiding officers in the bye-elections.

Declaring the training open, the head of electoral operations, INEC, Cross River State, Fred Emezu, urged the participants not to take the training for granted.

“This training is one that requires maximum concentration. There’s always something new to learn like the new technology of BVAS device being unveiled to the participants and voters in the state for the conduct of elections for the first time”.