Chris Akhabue, Benin City
The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) has announced the recruitment and training of 10,000 ad-hoc personnel ahead of Saturday’s local government elections, indicating its readiness to conduct a credible and seamless exercise.
Chairman of the Commission, Jonathan Aifuobhokhan, disclosed this during a press briefing in Benin City, assuring residents that all necessary arrangements have been concluded to deliver a free, fair, transparent, and inclusive electoral process.
According to Aifuobhokhan, the recruited personnel have been adequately trained and equipped with the competence and professionalism required for the successful conduct of the polls.
He noted that the Commission has taken deliberate steps to ensure full compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Laws of Edo State, and globally accepted democratic standards.
The EDSIEC chairman further revealed that both sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials have been produced, inspected, sorted, and packaged in line with established operational procedures, ready for distribution across the state.
Special logistics arrangements, he added, have been put in place to ensure timely delivery of materials to riverine and hard-to-reach communities, guaranteeing that no eligible voter is disenfranchised due to geographical constraints.
Voting is scheduled to take place between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., with results to be transmitted manually.
Aifuobhokhan emphasized that election materials have been systematically allocated to all local government offices and arranged according to wards and polling units to ensure efficient deployment.
“Our logistics are ready. Transportation arrangements are complete. Personnel have been trained, and electoral materials deployed. Security coordination has been concluded, and communication systems are fully operational,” he stated.
He added that distribution schedules have been carefully designed to ensure that all polling units receive materials before the commencement of accreditation and voting.
Reaffirming the Commission’s preparedness, Aifuobhokhan said: “Every local government area, every ward, and every polling unit is ready. EDSIEC has fulfilled its constitutional responsibility by putting in place all necessary measures for the successful conduct of the 2026 local government elections.
“We assure the people of Edo State that the elections will reflect the genuine will of the electorate.”
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