Bayelsa, Kogi guber polls: INEC commences training of ad-hoc staff

TRACKING >>The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the recruitment, training and deployment of ad-hoc staff ahead of the November 16, 2019 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

INEC chairman, its chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, Mahmoud gave disclosed this on Friday during a policy dialogue on “Dynamics of delegation: Reforms in the recruitment, training and deployment of ad-hoc election personnel”, held in Abuja and organised by The Electoral Institute.

According to him, reforms in the delegation of responsibilities by the commission to the ad-hoc election personnel has remained an exercise the commission will continue to review from one election to another.

He stated that the policy dialogue could not have come at a better time than now when INEC had just concluded the 2019 general elections and with Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections approaching.

“This event could not have come at a better time than now when we have just concluded the 2019 general elections and with Bayelsa and Kogi states governorship elections coming up in November this year. Crucial to a successful free, fair and credible election is the recruitment, training and deployment of ad-hoc staff, mostly members of the National Youth Service Corps, students of tertiary institutions, and lecturers in the Nigerian universities”, the INEC chairman emphasised.

He observed that with the large population of Nigeria, INEC needed the services of ad-hoc election personnel in the conduct of credible elections.