"Hundreds of them have called to tell us about how INEC has replaced their names with strange people presumed to be political supporters. This is really sad. They have undergone training and now their names have been replaced."
More than 300 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) protested in Maiduguri on Friday over the replacement of their names as ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday.
They protested in front of the Old Maiduguri Police Station in Jere Local Government Area of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
According to the NYSC members, their names came out on the first list, but on getting to their various centres, the names have been changed to another set of names.
A staff member of the Borno chapter of NYSC alleged that some INEC staff connived with politicians replace the names of corps member with those of party faithful.
"Let me tell you; our state coordinator has informed the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mohammed Ibrahim, about this, but he promised that nobody can replace corps members, because they are automatically qualified to work," the NYSC official told SaharaReporters.
"Hundreds of them have called to tell us about how INEC has replaced their names with strange people presumed to be political supporters. This is really sad. They have undergone training and now their names have been replaced."
However, Lawan Turawa, the state NYSC Coordinator, appealed to the irate corps members to be calm and promised to resolve the issue. He assured the NYSC members that he would personally take the names to the state REC for reconsideration.
They have demanded an explanation from INEC on why their names were replaced, and urged the INEC Chairman to punish the errant staff.
The corps members have vowed not to leave the place unless their names are restored because they were shortlisted earlier.