Ad-hoc staff besiege INEC office in Owerri
Some trained ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Saturday, besieged electoral office over alleged non-inclusion in the elections duties.
The ad hoc staff numbering about 300 persons, besieged the INEC office in Owerri, awaiting information from INEC officials.
One of them, Mr Mike Echetama, told NAN that they were trained staff of tertiary institutions in the state who applied to work as Collation Officers and Returning officers during the elections.
Echetama, a staff of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education Owerri said they had been at the INEC premises since the eve of the elections.
He alleged that INEC had failed to publish any list of ad hoc staff for the elections, leaving them in the dark.
“We learnt that only staff of the Federal University of Technology Owerri will be needed in the elections,” he said.
He also lamented that if they were not shortlisted for the work they would be stranded as a result of the restriction in movement.
Reacting, the INEC Public Relations Officer, Mrs Emmanuela Okpara said, collation officers would be needed after the elections, adding that selected ad hoc staffers would receive text messages to that effect.
She also denied the alleged preference for FUTO staff for the election.
Also speaking, Mr Leonard Uzoma, a staff of FUTO, who spoke with NAN said he spent the night at the INEC office in Imo.
Uzoma, who said he applied to work as a returning officer, said he received a text from INEC by 8 a.m., directing him to report at the office for his posting.
All is now set for the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria.
Nigerians have now queued up at the various polling units in Imo, Rivers, Kwara, Kano, Akwa Ibom and other States in the country to elect their leaders for the next fours years.
Imo is one of the States with heightened political tension. While the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha is in the race for Imo West Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, some of his family members are also running for various positions.
Okorocha is currently at loggerheads with the APC national body.
The presidential and National Assembly elections will be held in the 36 states of the country including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
In Rivers, the battle will be between the Governor of the State, Chief Nyesom Wike, who would want to secure a victory for his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Transportation Minister and former Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, while in Akwa Ibom, it would between Governor Udom Emmanuel and his former godfather, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
In Kwara State, Senate President and former Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki will sweat it out with his former party, the All Progressives Congress, APC led by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
For Kano, the State is seen as a major decider for presidential elections. Although the state is controlled by the APC, with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje in charge, the PDP with the return of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, is surely a party to beat.
Here, DAILY POST brings the updates, top stories and results of the election from Imo, Kwara, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and others…
Comments
Post a Comment