Kogi poll: NYSC deploys 4,000 corps members to INEC

Corpers

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Thursday said it would deploy 4, 000 corps members for election duties in Saturday’s governorship poll in Kogi.

Director-General of the corps, Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawunmi, disclosed this at Kabba, Kogi, during a sensitisation and awareness programme for NYSC members in the state.

He said that the corps members would serve as presiding officers and assistant presiding officers during the election.

Olawunmi, who commended NYSC members for their performance in the last general elections, urged those that would participate in the Saturday exercise to be diligent and transparent.

He assured the corps members that adequate measures had been put in place for their safety during the exercise.

“No corps member will go out during this election and will not come back safe; we are working with all the security agencies to ensure your safety,’’ he said.

The director-general pointed out that involvement of corps members in the 2011 general elections enhanced the credibility of that exercise.

He expressed optimism that the corps members would improve on performances of their colleagues in previous exercises ‘’to boost the success of the governorship poll’’.

He, however, warned that NYSC would not condone a situation where politicians would molest corps members in the course of discharging their responsibility during and after the poll.

Kogi poll : INEC distributes sensitive materials

The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) has distributed sensitive materials that would be used in Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi State.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) who was at the INEC office in Lokoja on Thursday to witness the distribution noted that the materials were escorted out to various destinations amidst tight security.

It was also observed that the distribution of the materials was done in the presence of the representatives of the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Congress and other parties contesting the election.

Th state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Halilu Pai, who supervised the distribution, said that the materials included ballot papers and result sheets.

Pai said that the materials would be taken to the INEC offices in the 21 local government areas of the state from where they would later in the day be shared among the 239 wards.

According to him, the INEC is ready and committed to conduct a free, fair, credible and acceptable election.
He urged political parties, security agents and other stakeholders to play their roles according to the rules.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner also gave assurances that the fuel scarcity currently being experienced in the state would not in anyway impact negatively on the process and outcome of the election.

He said that the commission had made arrangements with some filling stations that would sell fuel to all vehicles on election duty , and that the stations had been prevailed upon to operate on 24-hour basis beginning from Friday.