The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a refresher training for political party officials on the use of its Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP), a digital tool that has changed how candidates are submitted for elections in Nigeria.
In her opening remarks, INEC National Commissioner and Chairperson of the Legal Services, Clearance, and Complaints Committee (LSC&CC), Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, described candidate nomination as the cornerstone of any electoral process. She stressed that without validly nominated candidates, elections cannot take place, and warned that mistakes in submissions could have dire consequences for both political parties and aspirants.
The training is part of INEC’s ongoing commitment to ensuring electoral transparency through technology. With the ICNP, the commission has minimized paperwork, accelerated verification, and improved compliance with electoral guidelines. The current training aims to fully equip political party officials for the smooth and timely nomination of candidates ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) elections and other forthcoming bye-elections.
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According to Samuel Omale, Assistant Director, Legal Drafting and Clearance (LD&C), the sessions are designed to deepen understanding of the nomination guidelines, prepare party officials for the upcoming polls, and provide practical experience on how to efficiently navigate the ICNP. Participants will receive hands-on demonstrations to address grey areas and ensure error-free submissions.
To ensure effective learning and better engagement, the training has been structured into two batches over two days. INEC believes that with better knowledge of the portal and a stronger grasp of nomination protocols, political parties will be able to avoid costly errors and uphold the credibility of the electoral process.
