-BY SUNNY A. DAVID / AWKA:

The Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji says the Commission has recruited over twenty-five thousand ad-hoc staff, for the 2019 General Elections in the State.

Dr. Orji disclosed this when he led top officials of the Commission as well as officials of the European Union Election Observer Mission on an advocacy visit to the traditional ruler of Ekwulobia in Aguata local Government Area, Igwe Emmanuel Onyeneke.
According to Dr. Orji the advocacy visit was part of measures put in place by the Commission to reach out to opinion leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders among others with the aim of sensitizing and educating them on the preparedness of the Commission in this year’s general elections.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner noted that Anambra has the highest number of voter registration in the country as the State moved from one point nine million in 2015 to about two point five million in 2019 and urged Ndi Anambra to come out en-masse to vote for candidates of their choice during the elections as the commission has set adequate logistics in motion to ensure free, fair and credible elections.

He commended the European Union Observers for their advice and criticisms in previous elections which he noted has helped in repositioning the country’s electoral body for the conduct of credible
elections.

Responding, the traditional ruler of Ekwulobia, Igwe Onyeneke thanked the Commission for the visit and promised that he will help in sensitizing the people of the area on the need to participate actively during elections.

A member of the European Union Election Observe Mission, Mr. Henrik Westerby appealed to Nigerians to shun acts capable of destabilizing the electoral process.