2023: INEC Ad-hoc Staff To Swear Oath Of Neutrality Before Polls

All ad-hoc staff engaged to assist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of the forthcoming general election would be swearing an oath of neutrality before the polls.

Naija News gathered that the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this while inspecting ongoing training for Supervisory Presiding Officers on Saturday.

According to him, the commission is focused to conduct one of the best elections in the history of Nigeria, therefore the integrity of the polling officers has a heavy effect on election outcomes either positive or negative.

The INEC boss said ad-hoc staff owed no political party or candidate any allegiance, rather the citizens, therefore they need to be neutral.

Yakubu said it was for that reason that ad-hoc staff were carefully selected for the exercise, adding that they were going to supervise those to conduct the election hence their position is critical.

He said, “You are going to supervise the Presiding Officers who are actually going to conduct the elections in all the polling units for Nigeria.

“It is important to bear in mind your commitment to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and what counts most is your integrity as Presiding Supervisory Officers.

“You have been carefully selected by the commission to perform a very important responsibility for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You are doing this for Nigeria and you are going to swear to an oath of neutrality. Your loyalty is to Nigeria, your allegiance is to the people of Nigeria and not anybody.”

While appreciating them for accepting to be supervisory presiding officers at the election, Yakubu warned them that INEC wasn’t a political party and has no candidate in the elections.

Yakubu also revealed that a total of 352 ad-hoc staff were being trained in the FCT to serve as Supervisory Presiding Officers, out of which, 282 will be deployed for election duty.

He added: “What is happening in the FCT is happening in the 36 states of the Federation. This is a further assurance to Nigerians of the readiness of the commission to conduct the elections as planned the staff to be deployed to conduct the election are being trained nationwide.

“We will make sure that the process is what we say it should be so that the choice made by Nigerians determines who becomes what at whatever level.”