2019 Elections: INEC Releases Final Guidelines For Elections

Eniola Olayemi

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released amended guidelines for subsequent elections.

The 33-page document was made available to reporters by the chief press secretary of the commission’s chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi on Monday evening.

The regulations and guidelines cover all elections: the general elections, bye-elections, re-run elections, as well as supplementary elections.

These regulations come as part of a ‘decision extract’ of the commission on January 12.

The INEC said it took the action in line with the powers conferred on it by the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010.

INEC noted the regulations and guidelines supersede all other regulations and/or guidelines on the conduct of elections earlier issued by it ”and shall remain in force until replaced by new regulations or amendments”.

Meanwhile, some of the amendments have drawn criticism from some parties under the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and the Inter-party advisory Council (IPAC) who claim there are some clauses which would affect the election negatively.

For instance, they referred to simultaneous accreditation and voting which the commission said was to avoid what happened in 2015, when over 20 million persons accredited in the general election did not come back to vote.

The commission also dismissed fears expressed over the amendments saying they were for the good of all and ”have been used in off-season elections”.