Materials from previous election cycles were often not retained in States – INEC

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said materials from previous election cycles were often left unpreserved in states, thus limiting the Commission’s ability to conduct comparative analysis and build on past experience.

To fill this gap, the Commission claimed to have done so

established the Graphics, Library, and Documentation Division (GLD) and instructed Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) to take the training seriously as they would double the role of GLD officers in their respective states.

Speaking at a two-day seminar on the training of Public Affairs Officers (PAOs), National Commissioner and Chairman of the Voter Information and Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the training aimed to strengthen archiving, cataloging and documentation practices across the Commission.

Theme: “Preserving Institutional Memory through Effective Archiving and Documentation”, the workshop organized by the Department of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP), held in Abuja on Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday.

Haruna, represented by Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, described archiving as a key function of the Commission that has often been overlooked.

“It is a fundamental aspect of the department that archiving is done properly, for posterity, for reference, for lessons to be learned,” Haruna said,

“It is regrettable that materials from previous election cycles are often left unpreserved in states, limiting the Commission’s ability to conduct comparative analyzes and build on past experience.”

“I want to enjoin us to take this commitment and this interaction seriously, so that when we return to our respective states, we will be better prepared and positioned to begin doing the work of the GLD,” he said.

The Chief Press Officer to the INEC President, Adedayo Oketola, also highlighted the importance of the workshop, particularly as the Commission prepares for the 2027 general elections.

He encouraged the participants to take the skills and knowledge gained from the training to their respective states and be implementers of the vision to adequately and effectively preserve the memories of the Commission.

In his remarks on the objectives of the workshop, the Deputy Director of Graphics, Library and Documentation described the exercise as a long-overdue return to standard practice in records management.

He noted that many States are unable to readily produce documented records of the Commission’s past activities, a situation which, in his view, undermines the credibility and institutional authority of INEC information officers.

“The Commission’s credibility rests as much on its memory as on its neutrality. You cannot defend a decision that you can no longer explain,” he said, adding that the undocumented practice increases the risk of inconsistent application of guidelines across state and local offices, as well as litigation and challenges to public trust.

He told participants that “what is not written does not exist,” stressing that documentation, and not just trust, provides officials with the evidence needed to defend the Commission’s decisions and history.

He said the Commission will establish a central and secure repository covering electoral guidelines, results documentation, dispute records, post-election reviews and illustrative materials of the Commission’s activities at the national level, describing it as essential preparation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Workshop participants were expected to undergo hands-on sessions on digital documentation on the second day of the training, with additional engagements planned to monitor the implementation of the new archiving standards in states ahead of the 2027 elections.