By Yomi Kareem
As part of its preparations for the 2023 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has commenced training of political parties’ officials on the use of the redesigned INEC’s Candidate Nomination Portal, ICNP.
According to the electoral umpire, the Candidate Nomination Portal is one of the technological innovations introduced by the Commission in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic to reduce physical interactions and automate its processes.
While declaring open the 4-day training which commenced yesterday 1st of June, with support from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, IFES, Chairperson of the Legal Services, Clearance and Complaints Committee, LSC&CC, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, noted that the ICNP has been in use since the 2020 Edo and Ondo State Governorship elections.
She explained that the new provisions in the Electoral Act (2022), which made provision for several technological innovations, have additionally given the Commission a general discretion to apply technology as it sees fit. Hence, the National Commissioner disclosed that the portal was recently redesigned to accommodate the greater demands of a wider, general election nomination process.
According to the Chairperson LSC&CC; “This training is of utmost importance to political parties as it will enlighten them on the guidelines for nomination of candidates and the new procedure of the ICNP bearing in mind that political parties will be submitting forms on the portal in respect of candidates they intend to sponsor for the various offices in One Thousand, Four Hundred and Ninety-Nine (1, 499) constituencies in Nigeria.”
On the expected outcome of the training, Mrs. Agbamuche-Mbu, said it is expected that at the conclusion of the training, political parties would have gained extensive knowledge on the new nomination process for the 2023 general election, demonstrate practical knowledge on how to make submissions on the portal and be equipped with the approved guidelines for the nomination of candidates for elections.
In his welcome address, the Director, ICT, Engr. Chidi Nwafor, underscored the important role of the participants, who he said, were responsible for uploading the Nominations of Candidates in the off season elections since the introduction of the portal in 2020.
He further explained that the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal, ICNP, to be used for the 2023 general election would be 90 percent automated, a movement from the semi automated process previously used.
