The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured National Youth Service Corps members deployed for Saturday’s Anambra governorship election of their safety and prompt payment of allowances.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance in an interview with journalists in Awka on Wednesday, emphasising that the welfare and security of corps members serving as ad hoc staff were top priorities for the commission and security agencies.
Amupitan described the corps members as key stakeholders in ensuring a successful election, stating, “We are doing everything to ensure they are easily identifiable in uniform and not replaced by partisan individuals. As far as their allowances are concerned, the commission has provided everything required for this election. Any remaining balance will be duly addressed, including allowances for corpers.”
On security, Amupitan said agencies under the coordination of the Nigeria Police Force had assured INEC of adequate protection for all election officials. “Security operatives are already raking and mopping up various areas to ensure safety for voters and poll officials. We have done everything within our means to guarantee security everywhere,” he said.
The INEC boss urged electoral officers to remain neutral and ensure a level playing field for all candidates, while calling on politicians to avoid treating the election as a do-or-die affair.
He also appealed to voters to reject vote-buying and come out to vote according to their conscience. “If you vote based on your conscience, there won’t be vote-buying. It has even turned into vote-trading now, where people negotiate. We must intensify civic and voter education so citizens understand their rights and the power of their votes,” he said.
expressed confidence that the commission was ready to conduct a credible and peaceful election that could serve as a model for future polls.
He revealed that the commission had deployed sufficient Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines for the 5,718 polling units across the state, with about 1,000 additional devices provided as backup. He added that the number of collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would be made public before the election once collation was concluded.