The Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmond Yakani, has commended the National Elections Commission (NEC) for what it described as a transparent and credible recruitment of returning officers and assistant returning officers ahead of the general elections planned for December 2026.
NEC appointed returning officers and their assistants for all 10 states and three administrative areas on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in an order signed by NEC Chairperson Gabriel Bol Deng, as the commission continues preparations for the polls.
Yakani said they observed the recruitment exercise nationwide as part of its pre-election domestic observation mission. He said the process met standards of credibility and transparency, with candidates assessed on merit through interviews.
He described returning officers as key players in the electoral process, responsible for ensuring that elections are administered according to the law, including voter registration arrangements, nominations, polling, vote counting, and the declaration of results.
He urged the newly appointed officials to remain impartial and avoid any association with political parties.
“As a civil society, we will observe every single action of yours daily, whether your actions meet the standard of you being impartial as required by the law,” Yakani said.
CEPO also expressed disappointment that none of the 13 returning officers appointed is a woman. Yakani said only two women were recruited as assistant returning officers, a figure he described as falling short of the country’s 35 percent affirmative action commitment for women’s participation in public life.
“We are appealing to the leadership of the National Elections Commission that, since the country has committed itself to enforcing affirmative action of 35 percent for women’s participation in public life, there is a need to deliberately enforce this quota in further recruitment of election officials,” he said.
He urged NEC to prioritize women in the recruitment of presiding officers and polling clerks, and encouraged qualified women to apply for electoral positions that meet the advertised qualifications.
The appointments were made under Sections 18, 15(2)(p) and 26(1), (3) and (5) of the National Elections Act, 2012, as amended. The order takes effect from the date of its signature.
Under the Act, returning officers coordinate and supervise electoral activities in their jurisdictions on behalf of NEC. Their duties include overseeing voter registration and education, polling arrangements, the deployment of election personnel, and the management of electoral materials. Assistant returning officers support them and may perform duties formally delegated to them in writing, subject to the law.
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