Over 10,000 ad hoc staff will be engaged by the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) in the forthcoming Local Government elections in the State.

OGSIEC Chairman, Babatunde Osibodu, who made the disclosure while fielding questions from journalists in Abeokuta, revealed that the move will further provide job for the teeming youths during the period.

Osibodu added that, interested persons should keep monitoring the media, as the Commission will soon come up with the method of application, which he said will be done via its website.

“We shall be engaging the services of more than 10,000 ad hoc staff for the forth coming Local Government elections in Ogun State who will serve as Electoral Officers, Presiding Officers and Poll Officers, among others. This is in our drive to make the process seamless and free of hitches”, he stated.

He explained that the Commission was not involved in the expansion of polling Units, Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), stating that such power resides only with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Assembly is expected to give legislative backing to the polling units expansion.

Osibodu reiterated the Commission’s resolve to conduct local government elections that would be a benchmark, not just in Ogun State but in Nigeria, assuring that OGSIEC is not being operated by the dictate of any individual or political party as being insinuated in some quarters.

“Our loyalty is to the constitution, Ogun State Electoral Law and to the good people of Ogun State. The forthcoming elections will be one- man, one- vote, there is no external force anywhere that will influence us. Our motivation for accepting this task is service to the people and nothing more”, he clarified.

He urged political parties participating in the elections to ensure they organise transparent primaries, as OGSIEC will also monitor the primaries of all political parties, explaining that only aspirants who have scaled through primaries could purchase form through their political parties.

Osibodu maintained that the Commission is empowered by the Ogun State Electoral Law, 2007 to prescribe a non- refundable deposit for aspirants seeking to be Chairman and councillor respectively, adding that the exemption of female aspirants for payment was to encourage women participation in politics.