The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Friday, said all registered political parties are eligible to participate in the upcoming rerun elections in Plateau Northern Senatorial Zone of Plateau State.
The Commission also said it will recruit and deploy over 11,000 Ad-hoc personnel for the exercise.
This was disclosed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State, Dr Oliver Agundu while briefing journalists in Jos, the State Capital, on the upcoming rerun election in Plateau Northern Senatorial zone of the state.
“The purpose of this meeting is to officially inform all of you about the Court-Offered Rerun Senatorial Election in Plateau North and the Federal House of Representative Election in Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency.
“To invite you all to once again inform the public about the election and the imperative of their active participation and orderly conduct so that we can have a peaceful election come 3rd of February, 2024.
“But let me be on record that this Court Ordered Re-run election is not based on the failure on the part of INEC to do a good job in the first instance but strictly on the premise that a party in the contest failed to obey a court order and had no structure at the time of the election.
“But as of today all of you in the media are aware of the position of the highest Court in our country on the matter too.
“This election is going to be conducted in six Local Government Areas of Plateau North namely; Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Jos East, Jos North, Jos South and Riyom. These six Local Government Areas of the constituency together have 73 Registration Areas (RAs), 2266 Polling Units (PUs) with a total of One Million Two Hundred and Thirty Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Sixty (1, 234,761) Registered Voters.
“Out of which One Million Six Hundred and Seven Thousand, One (1, 167, 001) have collected their PVCs. It is to be noted that the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency is within the same Plateau North Senatorial District comprising two Local Government Areas of Jos North and Bassa with 30 Registration Areas (RAs), 1, 209 Polling Units (PUs).
“The total Registered Voters are 647, 409 with a total PVC Collection of 614, 956.
“We are expecting to recruit and deploy over 11,000 Ad-hoc personnel exclusive of the Security personnel that will be equally deployed.
“I, therefore, request members to appreciate the magnitude of the work at hand so that we can collectively develop modalities to ensure that we will have a fair reportage of our activities and the people are properly and timely informed of their responsibilities in ensuring a transparent, fair and inclusive election.