INEC Urges Edo Electoral Officers to Enhance Risk Management

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised electoral officers in Edo State to improve their risk management and preparedness for the 2027 general elections. Mr Obo Effanga, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo, made this statement during a sensitisation workshop on Electoral Risk Management (ERM) held in Benin.

He highlighted the unique challenges each election presents and stressed the need for careful planning and vigilance against potential risks. Effanga recounted a previous incident where a failure in the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) led to a polling unit's results being jeopardized.

He urged officials to report any technical difficulties immediately, as the public demands results, not excuses. Additionally, Effanga mentioned that INEC is investigating concerns regarding artificial intelligence-generated photographs in the preliminary online voters' register.

He also referenced the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election as a cautionary tale about the consequences of electoral failures. Mrs Emotimi Nicky-Cleopas, INEC Administrative Secretary in Edo, shared a traumatic incident from the 2023 elections in Rivers, urging officers to report threats promptly.