The Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to recruit and train more permanent personnel to handle electoral duties and gradually phase out its reliance on ad hoc staff ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Umeh, who is seeking re-election on the Nigeria Democratic Congress platform, made the call on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The lawmaker said the movement of electoral personnel from one state to another at the request of authorities could erode public confidence in the electoral process.
“So if you continue to move electoral personnel from one state to another place on the request of authorities, That type of juggling erodes confidence. You cannot be doing such a thing,” Umeh said.
He alleged that efforts were sometimes made during elections to deploy ad hoc staff who would “serve the purpose of certain powerful people” in various locations.
