As part of its commitment to transparency during next month’s poll, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has excluded all its National Commissioners from the collation of presidential poll results and other strands of elections.

The commission has also decided to throw open its Situation Room to accredited observers, civil society organisations and the media.

About one million (1m) Nigerians have applied for poll jobs as ad hoc staff.

But INEC is still grappling with 639 court cases, arising from party primaries, barely 20 days to the general elections.

It, however, said it is impossible for anyone, no matter how smart, to compromise Card Readers.

According to a source, who spoke in strict confidence, neither the widely-criticised National Commissioner Amina Zakary nor any of the National Commissioners will be involved in the collation of presidential poll results.

The source also said the Resident Electoral Commissioners have no business with collation of results.

The source said: “No National Commissioner is in charge of collation of presidential poll results. It is true that there is what is called Collation Centre but it is separate from the Collation Secretariat, which is responsible for the collation of results.

”No National Commissioner will be appointed into the Secretariat Committee. So, Hajiya Amina Zakari or any National Commissioner does not have anything to do with the collation of results.”

Responding to a question, the source added that INEC met on Saturday and resolved to throw open its Situation Room.

The source added: “Related to the Collation Centre is our Situation Room. The international observers and other stakeholders want us to open up the Situation Room.

”The commission met on Saturday and decided that we will grant visitation rights to accredited observers, civil society organisations and the media.

”Observers might not be allowed to see all things but they can come in and out of the Situation Room. The greatest thing INEC has done with this is openness.”

•Excerpted from The Nation report

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