Nothing will stop election from being free, fair, credible, it says
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Despite security threats and anticipated glitches in logistics, the federal and state ballots this year will be conducted and the results will be free, fair, and credible, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reiterated.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu made the pledge when he received in his office in Abuja the new National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Director General Brig. General Yushu’a Ahmed.
Yakubu did not provide details but gave an assurance to Ahmed of the safety of NYSC members to be mobilised as election workers and of increase in their allowance.
“No electoral commission anywhere in the world conducts election on the strength of its own regular staff. For us at INEC, we are lucky to have this large pool of those on national service to complement us.
“We are concerned about the comfort, safety and security of the corps members. We will continue to make them comfortable ahead of their deployment to Polling Units. We will even extend security to the NYSC camps as well,” Yakubu said.
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Pre-election training of NYSC members
“On their safety after the elections, I have emphasised to the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) that corps members must not be abandoned after the election but brought back to base after the exercise.
“On training, we are training them in camp, so that, by the time they are deployed, they are already trained,” Yakubu added, per reporting by The Guardian.
“I want to assure that before they leave camp, those in Enugu and Kano would have been trained before February 14. We will work together to train them ahead of their deployment.”
Ahmed also gave an assurance to Yakubu the NYSC would ensure all terms and conditions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between it and the INEC are met.
“We are already sensitising those on national service to allay their fears. It is an assignment they should be proud to carry out. I know you are talking day and night to talk to security chiefs, to ensure security of corps members,” he said.
NSCDC denies election boycott
In a related development, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has denied its personnel are planning a mass boycott of the elections over non-payment of their allowances for Osun and Ekiti governorship votes.
A statement signed by NSCDC spokesman Olusola Odumosu said Corps is dedicated to ensure citizens are secure to enable free, fair, and transparent election.
It clarified that although its officers who participated in the Ekiti and Osun elections in 2022 have not been paid their allowances, steps are being taken to ensure the allowances are paid before the presidential ballot on 25 February.
“The Federal Government recently released Osun election allowances, which is in the process of disbursement to operatives who participated in the election duty and it was also promised that the allowances for Ekiti election is in the process of release to the Corps,” Odumosu explained.
“The management appeals to all personnel affected by the late allowance payment to exercise more patience as the payment process cannot be completed in one day.
“Personnel are educated and enlightened enough to understand that allowances are only added incentives to salaries and not a right, and that sometimes, bureaucratic bottlenecks can be responsible for such delays.”
