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PLASIEC, INEC Deepen Collaboration Ahead of Voter Registration in Plateau
In a renewed effort to strengthen electoral processes in Plateau State, the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to closer collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
This assurance was given during a courtesy visit to PLASIEC headquarters in Jos by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Plateau State, Mallam Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq, who was accompanied by senior INEC officials. They were received by the PLASIEC Chairman, Hon. Plangji Daniel Cishak, and his management team.
Describing the visit as a strategic step toward institutional synergy, Hon. Cishak stated that both commissions play vital roles at different tiers of Nigeria’s electoral system and must work hand-in-hand to improve democratic outcomes.
“We are excited about this renewed partnership. INEC and PLASIEC are sister agencies, and we believe that through collaboration, we can build institutions that truly reflect the will of the people through credible elections,” Cishak said.
He commended the REC’s track record, noting that his transition from the INEC system into a leadership role was an asset for the state’s electoral development. He also highlighted internal reforms within PLASIEC, including efforts to upgrade infrastructure, build institutional capacity, and restore public trust.
One key innovation, according to Cishak, is the development of a Voter Verification System (VVS)—a homegrown digital solution aimed at improving voter accreditation during local elections. Although still facing some technical challenges, the system, he said, has great potential if supported by the state government and technical partners.
The PLASIEC Chairman also raised concerns about voter participation, particularly the issue of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). He called for collaboration with INEC to facilitate the distribution of these cards and ensure they serve their intended purpose.
“We must work together to make sure that PVCs produced for citizens do not lie idle in offices. PLASIEC is ready to support any drive aimed at boosting PVC collection,” he stated.
Cishak further used the opportunity to advocate for constitutional amendments to address constituency imbalances, citing Jos North as a case in point. With over 800 polling units and only one state constituency, he described the disparity as unfair and potentially disruptive during elections.
He concluded by appealing for INEC’s support in areas such as technical training, capacity building, and broader electoral reforms, reiterating PLASIEC’s readiness to conduct credible and transparent local government elections.
In his remarks, REC Mallam Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq acknowledged PLASIEC as a key partner in deepening democratic governance at the grassroots level. He emphasized that while INEC operates at the federal and state levels, PLASIEC’s work at the local level is no less critical.
“We have a common mandate to ensure credible elections—INEC at the federal and state level, and PLASIEC at the grassroots. Our functions are complementary,” he said.
The REC explained that the visit was part of efforts to establish formal engagement with stakeholders following his recent deployment to Plateau State. He stressed the importance of dialogue and institutional coordination for effective electoral planning.
Mallam Sadiq also announced that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Plateau State will begin on August 18, 2025. The process will kick off with a digital pre-enrollment phase, enabling eligible registrants to initiate their registration online before completing biometric capture at designated centers from August 25.
“A platform will be made available for eligible registrants to begin the process online. Then, from August 25, they can visit designated centers with their registration slip for biometric capture and final enrollment,” he explained.
Both commissions ended the meeting by reaffirming their shared vision for electoral transparency and inclusiveness, setting a cooperative tone ahead of the CVR exercise and future electoral activities in the state.
Google on Thursday announced that Gemini’s Personal Intelligence feature will get Nano Banana-powered image generation to create images with personalized context.
That means its AI images can be created using Gemini’s understanding of your likes and interests, without those having to be explicitly noted in the prompt.
This works because Gemini already has context of your data through Google account connections, such as Gmail and Google Photos. So, instead of typing “Generate an image of my dream home, my interests are tennis and music,” you can now just say, “Design my dream home.”
What’s more, the Nano Banana-powered connection can also use the labels in your Google Photos, so that it understands names and words that describe a group, like “Family”. For instance, you can create an image by saying, “Generate an image of my family and me doing our favorite activity.”
The company said the “sources” button will show how Gemini derived the context for image generation.
Google said that just like other connections, Gemini might get the context wrong, and you can provide feedback. Plus, you can also provide reference photos for image generation by clicking the “+” icon.
The image generation feature will be available to Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. within the coming days. Google plans to bring the feature to Gemini in Chrome desktop and to other users soon.
Google first launched Personal Intelligence earlier this year and made it available to all U.S. users in March. Earlier this week, the company expanded the feature to more users in countries like India and Japan.
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