The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the Commission has plans to deploy a total of 46,084 regular and ad hoc staff for the off-cycle November 11 governorship elections scheduled to hold in Bayesla, Imo and Kogi states.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed Friday in Abuja at a quarterly meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) which is the third meeting where he also revealed that the commission has also accredited 11,000 observers for the elections.
Prof. Yakubu reiterated that the three elections would involve 5,409,438 registered voters that would vote in 10,510 polling units spread across 649 electoral Wards in 56 Local Government Areas.
He stressed that all non-sensitive materials for the election have been delivered to the states.
He stated: “While we are leaving no stone unturned in other areas of preparations for the governorship elections, the Commission plans to deploy a total of 46,084 regular and ad hoc staff for the election.
“We have so far accredited 126 national and international organisations collectively deploying 11,000 observers for the election.”
The chairman stressed that although the portal for media accreditation closes on Tuesday 24th October 2023, the commission has received applications from 80 media organisations seeking to deploy 1,203 personnel made up of journalists and technical/support staff to report on the elections.
Yakubu added: “The 18 political parties participating in the elections are deploying 137,934 agents made up of 130,093 polling and 7,841 collation agents. We are also finalising arrangements for vehicles and boats for land and maritime movement of personnel and materials.”
Yakubu stressed that such massive deployment requires a secure environment which is beyond the immediate responsibilities of the commission.
The commission further expressed concern about the prevailing insecurity and election-related violence in the three States.
Yabuku said while the commission had been reassured of adequate deployment by the security agencies, it would continue to deepen its engagement with the security agencies, adding that more meetings are planned in the next few days.