A FORMER Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mike Igini, has said the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) adhoc staff list for the 2023 general elections must be certified by the Director General to ensure transparency and credibility.
Igini expressed his dissatisfaction with INEC’s preparations for the election while speaking on Arise TV on Wednesday.
He said the Director General of the NYSC must approve the adhoc staff list to avoid electoral malpractices.
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The former REC alleged that politicians usually connive with NYSC officials to influence the selection of adhoc staff for elections.
“Those to be used as NYSC corps members on the list must be certified by the current DG and given to the Commission down to the states because our politicians in time past have blocked them but you know you never can tell which angle they are going to come from.
“What they used to do before is that those who have passed out of service maybe last year or just two months ago in connivance with some officials and the NYSC would be used as Adhoc Staff. NYSC give out the batch number and telephone numbers of ex-corpers and the batch number which is no longer useful.”
In the same vein, Igini frowned at reports that prospective voters are being forced to offer money to INEC officials before collecting their PVCs.
“It is not expected that somebody in Nigeria who has registered and wanted to collect his PVC should offer INEC money and those who are accepting it especially officials should know that it is a clear deviation from the the ethical standards of electoral practices.”
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