2019: INEC Releases Guidelines, Sanctions Card Reader, Simultaneous Accreditation/Voting

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full document >> Regulations and Guidelines 2019^[1]

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has
formally released a 33-page regulations and guidelines for the
conduct of the 2019 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who signed the document on
Monday, said this was done in exercise of the powers conferred on
the commission by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as
amended).

Highlights of the guideline include the simultaneous
accreditation and voting, which has been opposed by 61 registered
opposition parties.

The documents which listed incidences that may warrant
postponement or cancellation of elections among others, also stated
that accreditation of voters and voting would hold simultaneously
between 8am and 2pm.

The section on the method of voting also prescribed that the
Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and Smart Card Reader (SCR) shall
remain instruments of identification of prospective voters.

“Election to the office of President and Vice President as well
as National Assembly shall hold on the 3rd Saturday in February of
any General election year, while election to the office of Governor
and Deputy Governor and the State Houses of Assembly shall hold two
weeks thereafter.

“Whenever the end of tenure of FCT Area Council coincides with a
General election year, election into the office of Chairman and
Vice Chairman and Councillors of the Area Councils shall be
combined with election for Governor and Deputy Governor and the
State Houses of Assembly.

“Where the end of tenure of FCT Area Council does not coincide
with a General election year, the election to the office of
Chairman and Vice Chairman and Councillors of the Area Councils
shall hold on Elections to which these Regulations and Guidelines
apply,” the guideline reads in parts.

The guideline insisted that no person shall be allowed to vote
at any Polling Unit/Voting Point/Settlement/Voting Point other than
the one at which his/her name appears in the Register of Voters and
he/she presents his/her PVC to be verified by the SCR, or as
otherwise determined by the Commission.

The guideline equally bars the usage of telephones and other
electronic devices capable of taking pictures in voting
cubicles.

“Voters may come to the Polling Unit with telephones and other
electronic devices provided that they do not take them to the
voting cubicles or take pictures of other voters while they are
voting,” it said.

The document however stated that voters are free to remain
within the vicinity of the Polling Unit to witness the sorting and
counting of votes and the announcement of results, provided he/she
is orderly.

The guideline listed voters (at Polling Units only), INEC
officials on election duty, security agents, candidates or their
accredited polling agents, accredited journalists/media; and
accredited domestic and foreign observers as the only ones that
shall be allowed access to the electoral material distribution
centres, Polling Units, polling stations and collation centres.