The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers, will recruit 26,000 ad hoc staff for the February polls, Mrs Gesila Khan, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, has said.
Khan made the disclosure on Wednesday in Port Harcourt during a meeting of Inter-Agency Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity.
She said the recruitment was in line with the commission’s commitment to conduct credible and violence-free polls.
“We cannot conduct election with untrained manpower. The commission has employed 26,000 ad hoc staff.
“We have received our ballot boxes as well as card readers implying that we are ready for the elections,’’ she said.
She urged the media to embark on mass enlightenment campaigns to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
The commissioner, who reiterated the need for safety of voters, said the commission was already working with relevant agencies to ensure security during the polls.
She appealed to the public to see the success of the elections as a collective responsibility and not that of the commission alone.
Khan explained that the meeting the commission held with various groups like religious organizations and women groups underscored the importance it places on security of voters and violence free polls.
She promised that the elections would hold as scheduled and promised that INEC would be impartial.
Mr Chinedu Evurulobi, the commission’s Administrative Secretary, expressed gratitude to the publicity committee for its effort to ensure successful elections.
He assured the electorate of the commission’s preparedness to deliver peaceful and credible elections.