2019: Opposition parties accuse INEC of recruiting N-Power beneficiaries as adhoc staff

Opposition political parties on the platform of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) on Sunday raised the alarm on alleged plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission to compromise the forthcoming general elections.

They accused the electoral body of recruiting beneficiaries of the present administration’s N-Power programme as ad hoc staff for the general election.

The coalition’s first national spokesperson, Imo Ugochinyere, made the allegation in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja.

Ugochinyere said, “The President wants to use the beneficiaries of their failed N-Power programme to technically rig the election.

“The INEC Chairman should ensure the credibility which he promised Nigerians by making sure that no N-Power beneficiary is recruited as ad hoc staff in the election because it is clear that these so-called beneficiaries are going to be used by President Buhari and his APC cohorts to rig the elections.”

The coalition’s spokesman claimed that the present administration has failed Nigerians and it is clear to government officials that they will lose the election in a free and fair contest.

This, he said, was why they are adopting all manner of ploys to rig the elections.

He added that information available to the CUPP indicated that Mrs Amina Zakari, believed to be a relative of the President would be in charge of the recruitment and training of the wards/local government areas/state collation and returning officers.

“We have just been informed from a very reliable source that Amina Zakari will be in charge of the recruitment and training of the Ward/LGA/State Collation and returning officers.

“This is an obvious effort by Amina Zakari to influence and manipulate the conduct of the 2019 elections,” he said.