No room on the fence: INEC staff can vote and remain neutral

INEC, the ultimate electoral umpire should make it possible for INEC staff to be able to vote as well.

Over the years, staff and workers of INEC are not opportune to for two reasons.

1. They are posted far away from their polling units.
2. For neutrality sake.

In as much as INEC and its staff should remain neutral, and unbiased this shouldn’t deprive them and all other observers like the police and other security officers, news men etc from exercising their franchises.

The voting, counting and result declaration period last for a maximum of 4 days for both federal and state elections.
While the effects from this derived rights will last for 4 years. It is better to vote, fail and stuffer than not to vote, win and stuffer.

It is more painful to be punished for an offense one didn’t participate in than to be punished for the offense participated in. INEC staff are pained for the former.

In the end, the population of these staff will be recorded for the success of choosing a leader. For example, you will hear the media say ‘as over 300 million card carrying Nigerians took to the polls, Wasobia of the XYZ party emerges as the top runner with 100 thousand votes against other aspirants.’ Instead of, ‘as over 300 million card carrying Nigerians excluding INEC staff of 5000 took to the polls, Wasobia of the XYZ party emerges as the top runner with 100 thousand votes against other aspirants.’

The number of INEC staff per polling point is around 5 which includes the SPO, PO, APO1, APO2, APO3, 1 police officer, and at least 1 international or local observer.

While some polling centers have more than one polling point. Just that all polling points in a centre with multiple points share one PO.

From the above, we can now imagine the number of Nigerians been deprived their franchises from Ward level, Local Government to state Which when summed up for all states and The Federal Capital would be a great number that could significantly impact the success or failure of an aspirant if they had voted.

My point is: Being neutral doesn’t mean you shouldn’t express your rights. But don’t allow emotions and sentiments make you start campaigning, mobilizing or even condemning a party or aspirant(s) which will jeopardize the system.

In my humble suggestion, their should be a form (register) for INEC staff for each polling point for card carrying staff who may be willing to exercise their rights.

And for proper neutrality, any staff caught in any act against the electoral act be punished accordingly.

Secondly, Cameras should be used in every polling centres, so as to help capture some irregularities of these staff ranging from collecting of money from party agents, abating the commission’s rules and regulations among others.

From the stable of my humble table, the Intellectual Capacity Builder and all its members nationwide is advocating for a hinge free, peace full and an excellent credible processes before and after the process as INEC and Nigerians prepare for the 2023 General elections.

The convener
Solomon Agada
De Civilian General
Solomonagada01@gmail.com