A ballot box filled with ballot is pictured before being counted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at a polling station in Yenagoa, in Nigeria's Bayelsa State, on April 16, 2011, after Nigeria's crucial presidential election and a bid by Africa's most populous country to hold its cleanest polls for head of state since the end of military rule. AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 44,687 out of the expected 80,410 party agents for the upcoming Edo governorship election were submitted through its dedicated portal by the July 30 deadline.
This information was disclosed in a statement by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, in Abuja on Thursday. Olumekun highlighted that INEC had transitioned to a digital process for accrediting observers, media, and agents since 2020, requiring political parties to upload the necessary details of their agents.
For the Edo election, with 4,519 polling units and 211 collation centers, INEC anticipated the nomination of 80,410 agents from 17 participating parties. However, only 44,687 agents were uploaded, which is 55.6% of the expected number. Notably, three political parties met the requirement for all levels of polling and collation, while one party did not submit any agents.
The report also provided a breakdown of the agents nominated by various parties, with APC, PDP, and NNPP nominating the highest numbers. Some parties, such as Booth Party (BP), did not submit any agents, reflecting varying levels of participation across the political spectrum.
