The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has described the ongoing ASUU strike as a threat to its preparations for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.
This was stated at a one-day workshop on Gender Sensitive Reporting of Elections on Thursday in Abuja.
Barr. Festus Okoye, who is INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, expressed that over 70 percent of the ad hoc staff requirement for the elections was drawn from students of federal tertiary institutions.
“The lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, will no doubt have serious impact on the preparations for the conduct of the 2019 elections.
“It is therefore important that students of federal tertiary institutions should and must be in school at least a month before the February 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections. They are one critical resource and their absence will have adverse effects on the ad hoc staff requirement of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC,” he stated.