INEC deploys 40,000 staff for Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo guber elections

About 40,000 ad hoc staff would be deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the November 11, 2023 governorship polls in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi states, according to reports.

The tenure of the incumbent Governor of Imo State will end on January 14, 2024, while that of Kogi State will end on January 26, 2024, and that of Bayelsa State will end on February 13, 2024.

On November 16, 2019, the commission deployed about 24,000 ad hoc staff for the Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections.

On August 31, INEC opened its portal for the recruitment of ad hoc staff, in preparation for the off-cycle elections in November,

Attempts to get the total number of ad hoc staff the commission would need proved abortive.

According to the commission, Bayelsa State has 2,244 polling units; Kogi state has 3,508, and Imo State has 4,758 polling units.

With 10,510 polling units in the three states; each unit would be assigned one presiding officer and three assistant presiding officers; making a total of 42,040 ad hoc to be deployed.

In addition to the presiding officers and their assistants, the supervisory presiding officers would be deployed to man various polling units.

INEC said that all non-sensitive materials had been sent to the three states.

Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, said, “We have supplied all the non-sensitive materials needed for the elections, and they are now being batched for the various Registration Areas in the states.”

The collection of Permanent Voter Cards started on September 11, 2023, and will end on October 9, 2023.