By-Elections: Political party candidates sign Peace Accord in Cross River

The candidates of the nine political parties in the February 26, 2022 by-elections have signed a peace deal for safe, transparent and violence-free exercise.

The candidates for the Ogoja-Yala Federal Constituency signed the pact during a stakeholders meeting held at Ogoja in the northern senatorial district of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.

A press statement signed by the Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr Cyril Omorogbe, indicated that the meeting, where the candidates agreed to a peace agreement, was convened at the instance of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Upholding standards

Dr Omorogbe said that INEC was “ready to conduct free, fair and credible elections without compromising standards” and appreciated security agencies for their cooperation and support for a successful process.

The REC appealed to stakeholders to support the commission’s fight malpractices such as “vote-buying, ballot box snatching and violence of any kind in the forthcoming by-elections.

“The commission will deploy the latest technology innovations, the Bimodal Accreditation Voter System, BVAs, for the first time in Cross River State, which will be used for accreditation to enhance and uphold transparent elections.

“The BVAS has been designed to transfer results directly from the polling units to the main server,” he further stated.

Adequate security

Also speaking, the Cross River State Commissioner for Police, Mr Aminu Alhassan, cautioned political parties, candidates, and electorates against any activity that may truncate the election’s peaceful conduct.

Alhassan said, “we will tolerate nothing short of a peaceful atmosphere for the elections in the by-election. We assure you that alongside other security agencies, we will provide adequate security for people and the materials for the exercise.”  

Similarly, the Director SSS, Mrs Promise Iheanacho, advised the political parties and contestants to keep in mind that the election was like a game where only one person would emerge the winner.

Six out of nine contestants participated in signing the INEC’s supervised peace accord. Meanwhile, for the Akpabuyo State Constituency by-election, three candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Labour Party, LP and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would sign the peace agreement at Ikot Nakanda, the council headquarters on Monday, February 21, 2022.

Training staff

In a related development, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has trained 1,914 Adhoc staff and presented guidelines ahead of the by-elections in Cross River State.

A statement jointly signed by the REC, Dr Cyril Omorogbe and the Administrative Secretary, Mrs Irene Nghuma, shows, “eligible voters whose names appeared in the INEC Register 2019 are qualified to participate in the forthcoming by-election in Ogoja-Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo State Constituency, which is scheduled to hold on Saturday, February 26, 2022.

“Biometrics Voters Authentication System, BVAS will be used for accreditation, while accreditation and voting would commence simultaneously between 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,” the press release indicated.

The statement urged eligible voters to “remember that only your Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC is your power to vote. Also, note that the Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC no matter the year issued, does not expire.”

On the training of ad-hoc staff, INEC noted, “the training for Supervisory Presiding Officers, SPOs, who are drawn from federal establishments and institutions in compliance with INEC guidelines to prepare for Ogoja-Yala Federal Constituency and the Akpanuyo State Constituency bye-elections scheduled for February 26, 2022, have commenced.”

The Electoral Institute organised the two-day training and focused on polling and counting procedures and other election processes.

The SPOs are expected to train Presiding Officers, POs and Assistant Presiding Officers, APOs, and perform supervisory roles during the by-elections.

E/Suzan O.