Election Monitoring, Support Centre Committee Inaugurated

By Dominic James

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has inaugurated a nine-member Election Monitoring and Support Centre Committee, as part of preparations towards the 2019 General Elections.

Addressing the committee members in his office on 28^th February, Prof Yakubu observed that with 68 political parties and 1,558 constituencies at the moment, the task of organizing a general election in Nigeria “is really a very big task.”

He told the members: “as a Commission, we have to track the activities in the EPP (Election Project Plan) and we are going to rely on this committee. In other words, you are the secretariat for the implementation of the EPP.

Prof Yakubu also averred that in constituting the Committee, “we carefully selected men and women, boys and girls that we are absolutely sure are dedicated and have the intellectual capacity to work, not just for 24 hours, but for more than 24 hours.”

He added: “Let me on behalf of the Commission congratulate you. This is really a big task and I appreciate your acceptance to serve as members of this committee.”

The Committee, which is expected to conclude its assignment within four weeks, has the following five Terms of Reference:

• To establish the EMSC Secretariat for the 2019 General Elections
• To finalize the EMSC Checklist
• To finalize the integrated platform for the EMSC
• To prepare and submit a comprehensive memo to the Commission through the PMSC for the effective implementation of EMSC operations; and
• To make any other recommendations for the successful implementation of the 2019 Election Project Plan.

Members of the Committee, which is chaired by the Special Adviser to the Hon. Chairman, Prof Mohammed Kuna, include Director, Planning and Monitoring, Okechukwu Ndeche; Deputy Director, ICT, Paul Omokore; Deputy Director, ERM Ifeanyi Agoha and Deputy Director, EOSC, Jibreen Jameel El-Yakub.

Others are: Deputy Director, The Electoral Institute, Victoria Eta-Messi; Assistant Director (EMS) Victoria Umoren; Nkiru Amadi-Emina and Moses Danladi Adayilo.