The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has said that an election’s delayed starting time is the initial indication of a failed process.
Amupitan noted that a primary reason voting starts late is a failure of logistics, cautioning that this must not occur on Saturday.
He mentioned that any staff member who fails to start voting at the correct time will be required to explain why, as there is no opportunity for excuses.
He instructed the Commission’s employees to be flawless, warning them that the world is observing.
Amupitan, who will be managing an election for the first time as the Chairman of INEC following his appointment the previous month, addressed the Commission’s personnel during a gathering at the State Office in Awka on Monday.
The meeting was part of his work trip to the state before the election and happened at the same time as the political parties signed the Peace Accord.
He stressed integrity, insisting that a free, fair, and reliable election depends entirely on the Commission’s staff at every level.
He stated: “There must not be a logistics failure.”
“The eyes of the world are on INEC, on the Resident Electoral Commissioner, and on you, the Electoral Officers.”
“Voting must begin at exactly 8:30 a.m. in all of the 5,718 polling units across the 21 local government areas. That is not up for discussion.”
“If you must stay awake on Friday, then stay awake.”
“The first sign of a trustworthy election is that it starts promptly. When citizens wake up and hear that voting has not started by 9:00 a.m., that is already a failure, and we will not permit that to take place in Anambra,” he said.
Amupitan emphasized the sacred importance of Form EC8A, calling it “the pyramid of votes in Nigeria,” adding that presiding officers must promptly record, sign, and stamp election results while collation officers must verify that the figures match the BVAS accreditation data before proceeding to the following step.
He warned that: “Not knowing the law is not a valid excuse.”
He directed that corrections must be made immediately and openly if figures do not match, as the Electoral Act mandates.
He stated: “If an election does not start on time, the Electoral Officer in that local government will be compelled to provide an explanation.”
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