Benue recruits 11,000 ad-hoc workers for Saturday’s poll

As Benue State electorate prepare for the local councils polls slated for next Saturday, the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) has said all candidates for the exercise who met the requirement of the law, have been cleared to participate in the election.

Briefing journalists at its headquarters yesterday, Chairman of BSIEC, Dr. John Tsuwa said the commission is fully set for the exercise as it has recruited and trained about 11,000 ad-hoc staff to compliment the commission’s limited workforce in conducting the election.

“We are fully set for Saturday’s poll. We did the recruitment online and we are happy to see that the recruitment is without biases. We have already carried out the training of the ad-hoc staff in the three senatorial zones and on Thursday this week, we will be training presiding and returning officers,” he added.

Tsuwa who announced that eight political parties made up have featured candidates in the exercise, stressed that both the sensitive and non sensitive materials are in the custody of the commission with the later already distributed to Local Government Areas.

“It is our hope that by 7.30 am, voting process will start and end by 3 pm, while collation of results will follow immediately, even as accreditation of voters and voting will go on simultaneously,” BSIEC boss stated.

Fielding question from journalists on which faction of the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is being recognized by the electoral body for the election, Tsuwa said as far as the law is concerned, the Ali Modu Sheriff faction is the one and that all the security agents are equally aware.

He also cleared the air on rumour of litigation tio stop the exercise saying, “to the best of my knowledge, there is no case in court seeking to stop us from conducting the election.”

Tsuwa also assured the electorate of adequate security, stating that all the 3,691 polling units will be provided with enough security cover during the exercise.