Some members of the National Youth Services Corps (NYSC) have rejected their postings by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to serve as ad hoc staff in Orlu, Orsu and Okigwe local government areas due to insecurity threatening the Saturday polls in the areas.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (INEC) in Imo State, Prof. Sylvia Agu, who confirmed the development to newsmen in Owerri while supervising the distribution of electoral materials, said that the situation had thrown the commission into serious jeopardy.
The REC, who regretted that the corps members had already been trained and were ready for the job, expressed worries about the situation.
Agu said that the commission was now left with no option but to recruit students from tertiary institutions to be trained as presiding officers and supervising officers to be deployed in the local governments.
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One of the corps members, who spoke anonymously with our correspondent, said they were threatened by the insecurity in the three local governments and could not afford to risk their lives.
She said, “We reviewed the situation and decided that it’s better we stay alive than to die in this election.”
Meanwhile, INEC has commenced the distribution of election materials to various local government areas.
Some of the election materials distributed included sensitive and non-sensitive materials, Biometric Voters Accreditation, election result sheets and ballot materials amongst others.
