INEC trains 100 NYSC members ahead re-run election in Ogun

News Agency Of Nigeria

January 22, 2020 8:20 PM

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has trained 100 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members for Saturday’s House of Representatives re-run election in Ogun.

Members of the NYSC as INEC ad-hoc staff at a polling unit in Victoria Island/Illustration (Pulse)

Prof. Abdulganiu Raji, the Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) in the state, disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting on the re-run election in Ijebu Ode on Wednesday.

The poll, which would hold in 13 Polling Units in Ijebu – Ode/Odogbolu/Ijebu North East Federal constituency, followed a Court of Appeal judgment nullifying the election in the affected areas.

He said that INEC had trained the corps members extensively, adding that he was sure they would apply the training well on election day.

He urged politicians , party agents and voters to accord them necessary support in other to achieve a peaceful election.

“For a peaceful election, let’s cooperate with ourselves, we are going to conduct transparent, free and fair election.

“We are not for any shady deals . We are going to let you know all the steps we are taking. All the materials needed for the election havery already arrived at the Central Bank since Monday ,” he said.

Raji also warned against financial inducement ahead of the election, adding that the commission had incorporated the anti – graft agencies into the Inter – Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) with a view to combating vote buying and selling.

The Commissioner of Police and Chairman of ICCES, Kenneth Ebrimson, said the security agencies had mapped out new measures to curb voters inducement.

He warned against electoral violence, adding that the police officers had been trained to observe the rights of voters.

“If you try to test the will of the security agencies, you have yourself to be blamed,” the the police commissioner said.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta had on Sept. 9, 2019, nullified the election of Mr Kolapo Osunsanya of the All Progressives Congress representing Ijebu Central Federal Constituency.

Taiwo Shote of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had in a petition challenged the return of Osunsanya as duly elected, saying the election failed to comply substantially with the Electoral Act .

The Court of Appeal in Ibadan had also on Nov. 6, 2019, upheld the decision of the tribunal which had ordered a re-run election and subsequently dismissed the appeal filed by Osunsanya.

News Agency Of Nigeria