The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the nominations for polling and collation agents submitted by all political parties for the upcoming Edo State governorship election. This decision was made due to widespread non-compliance with the digital submission requirements, specifically issues with the quality of uploads to INEC’s digital platform.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced this decision during a meeting with political parties in Abuja, emphasizing that the commission will not revert to manual processes for agent nominations. He stated that the digital procedure is now standard practice and that the commission is committed to modernizing electoral processes.

The rejection was due to problems with the images of Polling Unit, Ward, and Local Government agents uploaded to the portal. Despite prior training and the availability of a help desk, all political parties failed to meet the required standards for their submissions.

INEC emphasized the importance of proper identification for party agents, stating that only uploads meeting the requirements of their regulations and guidelines will be accepted. The commission also announced plans to conduct a mock accreditation exercise to test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal before their deployment for the Edo gubernatorial election.

The test run is scheduled for September 10, 2024, and will take place across 12 polling units in six Local Government Areas representing the state’s three Senatorial Districts. This exercise aims to ensure the smooth operation of the electoral process and maintain the integrity of the election.