The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced training of Supervisory Polling Officers (SPOs) in preparation for Ekiti East constituency by-election, scheduled for March 20.
Mr Nick Dazang, Director, Voter Education and Publicity, in the INEC bulletin issued on Thursday in Abuja, said the training was on polling and counting procedures for the elections.
Dazang said the two days training was organised by The Electoral Institute (TEI), a research arm of the commission.
According to him, the objective is that at the end of the training, participants should demonstrate the ability to organise and conduct training on polling and counting for Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs).
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He said that it was also to ensure that the trained officers effectively perform the electoral functions of SPOs in line with laws and regulations.
Dazang said the functions include the First Supplementary Guidelines and Regulations to Elections and the INEC Policy on Conducting Elections in the context of COVID -19 pandemic.
He quoted the TEI Director- General, Dr Sa’ad Idris, as advising the participants to be nonpartisan in the discharge of their duties.
Idris, according to him, further urged participants to ask questions where necessary, highlighting the importance of the programme to ensure quality step down of the training for POs and APOs
Highlights of the training include the Voters Code of Conduct for Elections during the COVID-19 Pandemic and mock practice of the “Revised Accreditation Process’’ which involves the use of the Smart Card Reader (SCRs) for accreditation of voters.