Nigerians cast their votes at various polling units across the country on Saturday morning to decide who would be the country’s president, vice president, and members of the Senate and House of Representatives for the next four years.
Some corps members and other people who worked as ad-hoc staff for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during Saturday elections have complained about not being paid their allowances amid maltreatment by the commission.
Nigerians cast their votes at various polling units across the country on Saturday morning to decide who would be the country’s president, vice president, and members of the Senate and House of Representatives for the next four years.
There are 18 presidential candidates contesting to be the successor of President Muhammadu Buhari after he leaves office on the 29th of May, 2023.
SaharaReporters gathered that INEC was yet to pay the staff, including security personnel, their training allowances, feeding allowances, per diem and other allowances.
A corps member who spoke to SaharaReporters while working at a polling unit in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State complained that the INEC did not cater for the majority of the ad hoc staff during the electioneering period on Saturday.
“It was because of what I was told that made me apply for this job. It is optional. I heard we would be taken care of, including being given feeding allowances. But yesterday’s situation was different. Nothing was given to us. And when we were done with the election, we could not see our supervisors.
“It is not only us (adhoc staff) that are victims of this. Security men are not taken care of,” he added
Another corps member who worked in Kano State also expressed his displeasure with the situation. He stated that if it was not corrected in a timely manner, it would send a negative signal to corps members, who would not vote in future elections.
He said, “I will say it is bad experience because we did not expect it this way. They ask us to come and participate. And yes we did participate. They even tell us that they will pay us our allowance before even going to the polling unit.
“But as we speak now. Out of the 100%, only 10% has gotten their own. And we have brought back all the election materials, we presented our results last night. They should pay us. I see no reason why they should not pay us. We heard that this money has been given to them, why not give us? We are calling on the government to look on this matter. Because if this continues, definitely, none of the corps members will want to participate in the near future election, and which is a downfall to the nation.”
In a viral video on Twitter, some ad hoc staff were also seen protesting at Osogbo LGA INEC Secretariat, Osun State on Sunday morning, demanding that they wanted to see their supervisors over the ill-manner they were treated while serving the electoral body.
“Osogbo LGA INEC Secretariat INEC (
@inecnigeria ) ad-hoc staff are protesting the ill-treatment they have received from INEC,” the video was captioned.
https://twitter.com/TheICIR/st