The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) are the only authorised election officers to handle the Bimodal Voter Authentication System (BVAS) during the election. INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made this clear during his visit to the training centre for Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers I, II, and III in Abuja on Saturday. He explained that the Commission cannot rely solely on its own workforce to conduct a credible and peaceful election, hence the need to mobilise NYSC members.
Chairman Yakubu tasked the Corps members to remain loyal to Nigeria and its citizens, not to any political party. He warned that under no circumstances should they hand over a BVAS to anyone else, adding that the Corps members will be tracked. “Nigeria is fortunate to have young citizens like you,” he said. “There is no way INEC can conduct elections without the NYSC. You are indispensable in the conduct of elections in Nigeria. We cannot conduct elections with our workforce alone, so we must rely on you and other categories of staff. You will operate at the most important level of the electoral system – the polling‑unit level, where citizens go to vote. All of you will swear an oath of neutrality; your loyalty is to Nigeria and Nigerians, not to any political party or candidate. You will be the INEC Chairman at your polling unit – the king at the polling unit. You are the only ones who will handle the BVAS on election day. Take this job seriously. We are tracking you so we know who is holding which BVAS. Do not give this BVAS to someone else.”
When asked whether the election would proceed amid protests over naira scarcity, the INEC Chairman responded that the protests are a security matter to be discussed with the security agencies. “Our role is clearly defined, and others have theirs. The most important thing is that we work together, and the security agencies have assured us they will secure the environment for the election to take place,” he said.
After visiting the training centre, the INEC delegation proceeded to the International Conference Centre (ICC) for inspection. Yakubu outlined the activities planned for the ICC: a hall will serve as a media centre for national and international observers and media organisations, with a briefing for observers scheduled for Tuesday; another hall will function as the Collation Centre for the presidential election; and adjacent to it will be the Situation Room, where INEC will deploy its platforms, including the INEC Citizens Contact Centre.
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