INEC trains 3,440 corps members for bye-election in Lagos

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday began a three-day training of 3,440 corps members for the Dec. 3 bye-election in Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency of Lagos State.

John Irem, Director/Administrative Secretary, Electoral Institute of INEC in Abuja, gave this figure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria during an inspection tour of the training locations in Lagos.

Irem said that the corps members were drawn from five local government areas of the state.
He listed the council areas as Agege, Alimosho, Ikeja, Oshodi/Isolo and Ifako-Ijaiye.

According to him, the corps members alongside INEC staff in neighbouring local governments will serve as presiding officers in the 335 polling units and 687 voting points in the constituency.

He said: “NYSC members should know they are in national service, and this is the test of their national commitment and national service.

“It is not all the corps members that are privileged to participate in this kind of service; so, it is an opportunity for the chosen to prove commitment to national service.

“We are expecting 3,440 corps members drawn from five local government areas, but at the end of it, we will deploy 3,190. The excess is for reserve.”

He urged INEC staff and other poll officers to protect the image of the commission by adhering to the ethics of the job.

“Everywhere I go, I keep telling INEC staff that they are the custodians of electoral process.
“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has charged INEC with the responsibility of conducting, organising and supervising elections.

“As many of our staff that are involved in the process in whatever capacity, the entire process -success or otherwise – will be charged to them.

“If the election fails, nobody will say any other stakeholder failed, nobody will say NYSC members failed, nobody says University lecturers have failed; they always say INEC failed,’’ he said.
The director appealed to the workers not to take anything for granted.
“Let us rise up to the occasion,” he urged.
He urged academics that would be involved in collation and announcement of the election result to do their best to ensure success.

Irem, who said that the commission had been working hard to institutionalise an enduring electoral process, advised politicians, their supporters and other stakeholders to cooperate with INEC.

He said that election conduct was getting better in the country, and gave the assurance that the bye-election would be successful.

Assessing the trainees, Irem said that the corps members had shown a sense of commitment and responsibility to the task.

Meanwhile, Clement Oha, the Administrative Secretary of the commission in Lagos State, said that INEC had also begun training of assistant presiding officers simultaneously to ensure a successful poll.

The commission decided to hold the training in four locations in the state to prevent overcrowding.

The INEC boss charged the corps members to be punctual, honest and neutral in the discharge of their responsibilities.

He assured them of adequate security.

According to him, Nigerians and international communities are watching INEC in its conduct of elections.

That INEC had on Monday commenced training of no fewer than 50 Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) to oversee the conduct of the Dec. 3 bye-election.

The six political parties to contest in the poll are: Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), African Democratic Party (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The bye election is due to the death of Elijah Adewale, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives.
Adewale died in Abuja on July 20.