Aniedi Ikoiwak, Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), has announced that 12 political parties will participate in the upcoming Local Government election in Akwa Ibom State, scheduled for October 5.
Speaking to journalists in Uyo on Tuesday, Ikoiwak revealed that these 12 parties have submitted the names of their candidates and returned their nomination forms. “We have been having smooth relationships with political parties. From our first interactions, we had 19 political parties with us. Twelve of them have submitted names of their candidates and have also returned their nomination forms,” he said.
Ikoiwak also detailed the preparations being made for the election, including the deployment of 14,000 security personnel to cover all 4,353 polling units and 369 wards across the 31 local government areas in the state. This security arrangement is being organized through the commission’s Consultative Committee Meeting on Election Security, which includes the Commissioner of Police for Akwa Ibom State and other key security officials.
Additionally, Ikoiwak disclosed that the commission has received over 17,000 applications from individuals seeking to work as ad-hoc staff for the election. However, after the screening process, only 12,000 to 13,000 applicants will be engaged.
