The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties against making careless mistakes in the nomination and submission of candidates for the various elections.
The commission said such mistakes could be detrimental to both parties and their candidates.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairperson of the Legal Services, Clearance and Complaints Committee (LSC&CC), Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, gave the warning at a two-day refresher workshop on the use of the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP) for party officials
Mrs. Agbamuche-Mbu said the training was organised to enhance the capacity of political parties and minimise procedural errors in candidate nominations as well as consolidate the achievements from previous cycles and ensure a more efficient, transparent, and technologically seamless nomination process in preparation for upcoming bye-elections and the Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls.
She said: “Nomination of candidates is not only a statutory obligation, as provided for in Section 29 of the Electoral Act, 2022, but it is the very foundation upon which elections are conducted. An error in the submission of personal particulars of candidates by political parties can be potentially detrimental to both the party and its candidate.”
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The national commissioner stressed that despite the progress made so far with the ICNP in reducing paperwork and improving compliance, political parties still faced some challenges, such as incomplete form submissions, improper document attachments, and frequent turnover of personnel managing the nomination process.
“This refresher training is designed to bridge those gaps and ensure that both returning and newly appointed party officials have the knowledge and skills necessary for a smooth nomination process,” she added.
Mrs. Agbamuche-Mbu urged party officials to maximise the training, saying: “Our collective preparedness is a determinant of the overall success of the electoral process.”
An Assistant Director in INEC’s Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, Samuel Omale, outlined the purpose and strategic focus of the refresher training.
According to him, the workshop was designed not just as a routine exercise but as a timely intervention to deepen the capacity of political party officials ahead of upcoming FCT and bye-elections.