Local government elections will no longer be conducted in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on March 19. According to Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the polls have been shifted to April 9, 2016.
Resident electoral commissioner Jacob Jatau explained at an emergency stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja that the postponement was caused by the commission’s inability to recruit ad-hoc workers.
Jatau said that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) could not meet the target requested by the commission for the ad-hoc job, just as the commission met difficulties when it approached the University of Abuja to provide some students to make up the number needed for the election.
Several political parties have expressed disappointment over the postponement, as they have concluded their campaigns and will have to spend more money.
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