The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State, Mr Kassim Gaidam, has warned NYSC members in the state not to derail the electoral process during the July 14, governorship election.

Gaidam gave the warning in Benin when he visited INEC training centres in Oredo, Egor, Ikpoba-Okha and Orhionmwon local government areas of the state.

The corps members are undergoing a two-day training at the centres ahead of the governorship election.

He urged the NYSC  members not to compromise the process, saying they should be proud to have been saddled with a critical national assignment.

The commissioner “you should therefore endeavour to resist any attempt or bait to derail the electoral process”.

“What you have agreed to do on the election day is a patriotic and selfless service which no money can buy. “But I want to plead with you to demonstrate that you can be relied on as the future leaders of our country, he emphasised.

He told them not to express any fear, saying “Mr President as the Commander-In-Chief  has given his word that your security while on this national assignment will be guaranteed’’.

Gaidam disclosed that in addition to the corps members, the commission had also trained “some selected students of the University of Benin and Auchi Polytechnic to serve as assistant presiding officers.

Leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are at logger head on the use of the youth corps members to conduct the election.

The PDP had claimed that the corps members in the state were compromised by the state government and urged INEC to use NYSC members from other states.

The ACN had since dismissed the claim and urged INEC to conduct a transparent election..

The July 14 election would hold in 5,519 polling units across the 18 local governments area of the state.