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Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) against engaging in electoral malpractices during the 2023 general election.
Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Osun State, Mutiu Agboke, gave the warning at the NYSC orientation camp in Ede, during the corps’ sensitisation lectures organised for the Batch C Stream 1 members in the camp.
He said any corps member engaged by the commission for the general election and caught in any electoral malpractice, would be prosecuted accordingly.
He said as the country prepares for the elections, the stakes were high for the commission, adding, “We are being careful, especially with the engagement of corps members for the elections.”
Agboke said politicians were bound to approach the corps members during the elections and warned them not to be compromised or let themselves be used for their selfish aims.
“INEC has a very cordial working relationship with NYSC and that based on the integrity and trust they have in the corps members, that is why they are engaged as presiding officers during the elections. Since the day INEC partnered NYSC in the electioneering process, INEC has never had any problem. I, therefore, appeal to you all to avoid engaging in electoral malpractices and uphold the existing relationship between INEC and NYSC, which is very sacrosanct,” he said
Agboke said the commission would request corps members engaged for the elections to sign undertakings and that any of them caught engaging in any election malpractice would be prosecuted.
“You must be very careful and must not be paid to perpetrate illegality, because we will get you arrested and prosecute you if you do wrong,” he said.
The REC said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be used by INEC during the coming elections, and that the BVAS had made it impossible for human interference. He said corps members that would be engaged for the elections, would be properly trained on the usage of the BVAS.
