Enhancing Electoral Security: TEI Methodology Workshop on EVMAT for 2023 Kogi Off-Cycle Governorship Election Field Agents.

Enhancing Electoral Security: TEI Methodology Workshop on EVMAT for 2023 Kogi Off-Cycle Governorship Election Field Agents.

Welcome Remarks by Dr. Sa’ad Umar Idris, the Director-General of The Electoral Institute (TEI), at the TEI Methodology Workshop on Election Violence Mitigation and Advocacy Tool (EVMAT) for Field Agents in Preparation for the 2023 Kogi Off-Cycle Governorship Election.

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I am highly delighted to welcome you to this all-important programme. I also wish to extend felicitations from the Honourable Chairman, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and the Chair, Board of The Electoral Institute (BEI), Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru and indeed the entire members of the Commission.

This event has been designed and geared towards equipping you with requisite skill sets to be able to effectively engage in the deployment of the Election Violence Mitigation and Advocacy Tool (EVMAT) for the Kogi State Governorship Election.

EVMAT is the brainchild of The Electoral Institute (TEI) and it is an instrument the Institute usually deploys as a proactive barometer to gauge the likely occurrence of violence pre, and during elections, as well as in the period after elections. The Electoral Institute (TEI) deploys the instrument to identify potential hot-spots and flash points so as to guide the Commission and election security personnel and other electoral stakeholders on places and areas that are likely going to be violent, and the urgent need to develop strategies to mitigate the violence. This workshop is strategically designed to train you on the tool that would mitigate outbreak of violence ahead of the Kogi State Governorship Election scheduled for 11th November, 2023. It is also meant to develop and integrate aspects of electoral risk factors.

The Commission through TEI had in recent past deployed the EVMAT instrument in a bid to test the pulse of various players (e.g., the just concluded 2023 general Elections, FCT Area Council Elections, Anambra State Governorship Election, Edo and Ondo States Governorship Elections etc.), in order to accurately predict and advise on actions to be taken by those responsible for securing elections. The effective application of this instrument, will determine the level of accuracy of report and risk factors emanating therefrom. It is in this regard therefore that field workers have to be trained to professionally administer the instrument.

Participants have been carefully selected to receive proper training before being deployed to the various local governments in the State to administer the instrument which will be analyzed and coded. The report of the exercise will be sent to the Commission and will be shared with Security Agents, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Media and other relevant Stakeholders.

Successful risk mapping can only be achieved using accurate data. I therefore urge you to take this workshop seriously as the Commission is committed to conducting the Kogi State Governorship Election, as well as the other two Off-Cycle Governorship Elections in Imo and Bayelsa States, scheduled for 11th November, 2023, in a secure environment. I wish you all fruitful deliberations.

Thank you and welcome.

Credit : INEC