The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Gombe State is to engage the services of 1,052 ad-hoc staff for the conduct of the Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency by-election fixed for October 22.
The INEC Administrative Secretary in Gombe State, Alhaji Mohammed Giro, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe that 20 permanent staff would be involved in the election.
Giro said that the training of the ad-hoc staff, most of them NYSC members, commenced on Wednesday and would end on Thursday.
He said that voting would take place in 317 polling units in the two local government areas of Balanga and Billiri, adding that INEC was fully prepared for the election.
The administrative secretary said, “We are fully prepared for the conduct of election and had already assigned all ad-hoc staff to all the polling units. They are expected to report to their places of assignment as soon as their training is concluded.”
Giro said that INEC had met with all stakeholders to brief them on INEC’s readiness for the election and to solicit their cooperation for the exercise to succeed.
NAN reports that the by-election was necessitated by the nullification of the election of Alhaji Yusuf Manu of the PDP as the winner of the Billiri/Balanga Federal Constituency poll by the Court of Appeal in Jos.
Mr Yila Mustapha, candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) had challenged the return of Manu, alleging irregularities. Five candidates, Yusuf Manu of PDP, Yila Mustapha of the ACN, Keftin Amuga of the LP, Emmanuel Amos of the ANPP and Mela Nunge of the CPC will be contesting Saturday’s by-election.