Following the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the 2019 elections have been postponed, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who had earlier been enlisted as ad hoc staff are bearing the brunt in several parts of the country.
The corp members who had mostly arrived at the various polling zones were left unattended to and with no choice but to sleep on the bare floors, with some even sleeping in the open.
With the postponement, the corpers are now taking to social media to seek assistance and protection, as some now have to make unprecedented travel back to their place of primary assignment.
Nigerians on Twitter are outraged about the fate the corp members have to suffer as a result of the electoral body’s incompetence to continue with the elections. See more photos of stranded corp members and reactions on social media.
While we are all frustrated, please spare a thought for people who are most affected by the postponement… like our corpers who had to spend the night in terrible sleeping conditions, people who had weddings or other milestone occasions planned, etc. May God help us all.
— Banky Wellington (@BankyW) February 16, 2019
I feel so sorry for the corpers that have had to risk their lives for this nonsense, your country has failed you
— ✨ (@es_fash) February 16, 2019
Immediately the postponement became official, Policemen watching corpers in a part of Lagos just shouted: "Dem don postpone elections o, make una dey go house"… and drove off leaving the vulnerable corpers more vulnerable … INEC no try
— Jubril A. Gawat (@Mr_JAGs) February 16, 2019
Please help us…corpers are being harassed by touts and policemen in Inec office Rumuokoro eligbolu port Harcourt.Rivers state please retweet
— Tunji (@latunji_) February 15, 2019
Please if you traveled to Abeokuta to vote and are now stuck, DM for address to my house. My grandmother is making Akamu and Akara for breakfast. Every Saturday morning, without fail. Our boys quarters is also empty and has 5 rooms and 3 baths. Youth corpers welcome.
— MoMo (@MoAmosun) February 16, 2019
