The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disputed claims that “unknown individuals” were replaced for trained ad hoc personnel in the Bayelsa governorship election.
PIDOM Nigeria, in a statement posted on X, accused INEC of “doing everything within its powers to rig Saturday’s governorship election in Bayelsa for highest bidders.”
Some people and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were shortlisted and trained as ad hoc workers for the Bayelsa election were unexpectedly discarded on Friday night, according to the social media account, with their identities swapped with those of unknown persons and political party members.
“All of the trained corpers were told to return home. APOs 1–3 included. INEC had no trained APOs. They merely took ballots.
“INEC and Professor Mahmood Yakubu have destroyed Nigeria’s electoral process and institutions. There is no way out of this,” according to the statement posted on X.
News About Nigeria reports that on Saturday, however, Wilfred Ifogah, the state’s INEC voter registration chief, declared that the report was incorrect.
According to Ifogah, those who were successful in the recruitment procedure were called and camped at various registration area entrances (RACs) the night before election day in preparation for deployment to their voting units on November 11.
“I would like to inform you that the Commission has a methodical approach to the recruitment, training, and shortlisting of ad hoc personnel that it cannot afford to violate or sabotage.
“Lastly, we also advise stakeholders and other citizens to be wary of similar unfounded rumours that are bound to be disseminated by persons whose interest is to undermine the Commission”, the statement asserted.
