INEC recruits, trains 2,724 ad-hoc staff for Plateau by-elections

INEC has recruited and trained 2,724 presiding and assistant presiding officers in Plateau for Jos North/Bass Federal Constituency and Pankshin South State Constituency by-elections.

The elections hold on Saturday.

Presiding officers recruited are National Youth Service Corps members deployed in the state.

Mr Sylvanus Yepe, INEC Voter Education Officer in Plateau told newsmen in Jos on Tuesday said that the ad-hoc staff would be deployed to the 681 polling units in 35 Registration Areas in the constituencies.

He explained that each polling unit would be managed by a presiding officer and three assistant presiding officers.

Yepe added that INEC was putting finishing touches to preparations and was having series of meetings with relevant stakeholders.

“We held an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security meeting on how to secure election materials, election officials and the voters.

“We engage with stakeholders in localities where the elections will hold and with other stakeholders at the state level.

“We have also tried to meet with different organisations to address issues that may hinder the successful conduct of the elections.

“All relevant stakeholders have been consulted, and we have worked with them and we have gone very far,’’ he said.

Yepe also told newsmen that INEC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Union of Road Transport Workers to convey staff and materials to election points.

According to him, INEC will have a meeting with political parties, security agencies, candidates and government, including the media on Thursday to sign a peace accord.

He said that after the meeting, the non-sensitive materials kept at the CBN would be distributed.