By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will commence a comprehensive review of the 2023 elections in July.
The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye disclosed this in a statement.
According to Okoye, the review process will begin with a meeting of the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on July 4, 2023, and conclude with the Commission’s retreat on August 5, 2023.
Okoye stated that a detailed schedule of activities and timelines will be released shortly after the meeting with the RECs on July 4, 2023.
The review will involve the participation of INEC officials at both the national and state levels, as well as various stakeholders.
He said that the primary objective of the review is to identify lessons learned from the elections and determine the way forward.
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“The Commission held its regular meeting today, Thursday, June 22, 2023, and has resolved to conduct a post-election review of the 2023 general election, consistent with our practice since 2011,” Okoye said.
“The review will commence with a meeting of the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on July 4, 2023, and conclude with the Commission’s retreat on August 5, 2023″, he added.
Okoye highlighted that the internal review at the state level would involve INEC’s regular and ad hoc staff, including RECs, Electoral Officers, Department Heads, Administrative Secretaries, as well as some Presiding Officers and Collation/Returning Officers.
Furthermore, external engagement will accommodate key stakeholders such as political parties, security agencies, election observers, the media, and service providers involved in transporting personnel and materials for the elections.
“The review process will cover all aspects of the electoral activities undertaken before, during, and after the elections.” Okoye explained
He stressed that the Commission will welcome actionable recommendations from stakeholders to strengthen institutional capacity and enhance processes and procedures necessary for the discharge of its responsibilities.
