THIRTEEN political parties have so far declared interest to participate in the local government election schedule for June 3rd, 2017.
Chairman, Benue State Independent Electoral Election BSIEC, Dr John Tsuwa disclosed this to newsmen in Makurdi on Wednesday.
Tsuwa said, ‘thirteen political parties have so far collected form BCF002, this form is for the parties to conduct their primaries and is expected to be returned latest April, 30, 2017.
The SIEC boss further said that 11,400 ad hoc staff will be recruited to cover the3,691 polling units across the state and added that the recruitment of the ad hoc staff would be done online with each of the successfully staff to produce a guarantor.
He further said that vigilance group would be recruited to augment the services of security agents during the election.
“We are introducing so many things to ensure free and fair election in the forthcoming council poll in the state, for instance, we are engaging the services of vigilance group to supplement that of conventional security agents.”
“Since the vigilance groups are parts of the local communities in the state they will assist in driving away strange faces at the poling units, we are strongly aware of the activities of politicians, I will not allow them to ridicule me.”
While calling on people of the state to rally round the electoral body in the discharge of its duties, the SIEC boss said that he owed his allegiance to the people of the state.
He however assured Benue people that the electoral body would not disappoint the confidence reposed on it just as he said that results of the election would be announced at the polling units to show its transparency.
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