The Independent National Electoral Commission in Gombe State has commenced training for registration area officers ahead of voter registration.

INEC’s Public Affairs Officer, Mohorret Bigun, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Gombe.

He stated that the training was part of preparations for in-person voter registration at the state and Local Government Area offices.

Mr Bigun described the training as a vital step towards ensuring a smooth and credible voter registration.

According to him, the exercise drew RAOs and electoral officers from the state’s 11 LGAs, staff of the Voter Registry/ICT department, and the State Management team.

He noted that the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Sa’ad Idris, expressed confidence in INEC staff and urged participants to uphold ethical standards.Mr  

Idris stressed the importance of credible voter registration in guaranteeing free, fair, and transparent elections.

He said the training was aimed at refreshing RAOs’ knowledge and acquainting them with upgraded registration software.

Mr Idris noted, “The credibility of any election begins with a credible registration process.’’

He added that the 2025/26 CVR would not be business as usual.

The REC assured RAOs that all entitlements would be fully paid, cautioning that dereliction of duty or unauthorised delegation would attract strict sanctions.

 Mr Idris also directed electoral officers at LGAs to ensure proper supervision, saying he would monitor the exercise through field visits and public feedback.

(NAN)