2023: INEC Reviews Level Of Preparedness

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said it is reviewing its level of preparedness ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Speaking during a two-day workshop organised for Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) Amber zone, National Level in Lagos, Special Adviser to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Prof Mohammad Kuna, disclosed that the aim of the workshop was to review the Commission’s level of preparedness, identify gaps if any and address them.
He said: “Since its inception, the Election Monitoring and Support Centre has provided the Commission with a broad framework for enhancing coordination, efficiency and effectiveness in the planning and implementation of electoral activities. Approved by the Commission in January 2014 as a tool for monitoring and tracking the implementation of electoral activities, the tool has been deployed in all general and other off-cycle elections since the Ekiti Governorship election in June 2014. It was deployed in both the 2015 and 2019 general elections, and in Off-Cycle elections since, from Kogi to Osun.
“For the 2023 General Election, the National Level Amber Zone Implementers’ Workshop is the second of three planned training and implementation engagements. The first was a series of meetings across the administrative zones of the Commission that brought together all Heads of Department where the operation of the EMSC was thoroughly discussed and reviewed towards the end of 2022.
“That review provided significant inputs that redefined the EMSC Work Plan for the 2023 General Election as originally conceived. More specifically, the traditional training of the Amber and Red Zone normally conducted for Off-Cycle Elections were redesigned.
He added, “Thus, this second of the three planned meetings focuses on the training of Administrative Secretaries, Heads of GAP, as well as the three Desk Officers of the EMSC to constitute a core of EMSC trainers for each of the 36 States and the FCT. This phase is for all the 19 States in the northern zone and the FCT. On the 26th of this month, the 17 States of the southern zone will be similarly trained.”