Stakeholders Meet with INEC Officials to Review Ondo Election Preparations

Stakeholders critical to the success of the 16 November governorship election in Ondo State, southwest Nigeria, have held concrete discussions with the Chairman and other officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Akure the state capital, to interact on the preparations for the election.

 

Addressing the gathering, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the commission has carried out all activities listed on its timetable and schedule except the last day of campaign by political parties which, according to law, ends 24 hours before the date fixed for the elections that is, at midnight on Thursday 14th September 2024 and Election Day on Saturday 16th November 2024.

 

PVCs collection

Prof. Mahmood said the commission implemented other electoral activities, including voter registration and collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs, “we uploaded to our website detailed information on the number of collected and uncollected PVCs for each of the 3,933 Polling Units in Ondo State. In the information booklet distributed at this meeting, you will also see the number as well as distribution of the 2,053,061 registered voters by Local Government Area, gender, age, occupation and disability. You will also see the list of candidates, including names published by Court order. We conducted a series of stakeholders’ meetings at the national, State and Local Government levels, including meetings with the security agencies”.

 

Accreditations

He stated that for the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election “The Commission has accredited 111 domestic and international organizations deploying 3,554 observers for the election. We have also accredited over 100 radio, television, newspaper and online media organizations deploying about 700 personnel, including 129 female journalists, the largest number for any off-cycle Governorship elections in Nigeria”.

 

In addition, thousands of agents representing candidates and political parties for all the polling and collation locations across the State have also been accredited by the commission. “I want to assure you that the accreditation cards for all categories of stakeholders are ready. Our State office here in Akure will soon commence the distribution of accreditation tags, including election duty vehicle stickers.

 

Security

The INEC Chairman noted that adequate security will be provided during the election, to guarantee the personal safety and protection of observers, the media, INEC officials, both regular and ad hoc staff, service providers such as transporters, and, above all, the citizens that will vote during the election.

 

BIVAS Machines

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu emphasized that INEC is deploying BIVAS machines for voter accreditation at polling units and for the upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing, IReV, portal. “Only yesterday, we conducted mock accreditation in 12 polling units across six Local Government Areas in the three Senatorial Districts of the State. The purpose was to test-run our deployment of technology to safeguard the credibility of the election. But let me also quickly add that the machines used for the mock accreditation and the training of officials will not be used on Election Day”. He announced that the commission has sufficient machines for the election which have been configured for voter accreditation and the upload of result distinct from those used for mock accreditation and training.

 

Election day

Mahmood said that to ensure the success of the Ondo state governorship election, the commission is deploying enough technical support staff to address any challenges that may occur. “We have made arrangements for land and maritime transportation of personnel and materials. We have arranged for the delivery of sensitive materials for the election to arrive as early as Tuesday next week”.

 

Materials inspection

As is customary before any election, political parties and other stakeholders will be invited for the usual inspection of the materials at the Central Bank in Akure and throughout the movement of sensitive materials to the Local Governments and the Ward centres. “We have warned our staff that there will be consequences for dereliction of duty in any way or form. Tomorrow afternoon, I am going to address the staff, including the Electoral Officers from the 18 Local Government Areas.”

 

QR Code on accreditation tags

The INEC boss urged Political parties to continue to restrain their supporters from any disruptive behavior. “We have produced accreditation tags for all your agents bearing their names, photographs and location of deployment. We have also added a QR code to the tags that can be read even from mobile phone applications. The practice of issuing party tags without name, photograph or location of posting to party agents must stop.

 

Mahmood called on Political Parties to follow the example of other accredited observers and the media by using the tags issued by the Commission and displaying the same at all voting and collation locations.

 

Peace Accord

A Peace accord will be signed on Friday 8th November 2024, involving parties and candidates to be facilitated by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar GCFR, as the Chairman of the National Peace Committee. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu asked the stakeholders to honor the Peace Committee by their presence and, most importantly, abide by the terms of the Accord for a peaceful election.

 

Election Security

The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun said the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State will depend on peace, order, and security and any breach of the peace or security can scuttle the success expected in the exercise. “In order to deliver adequate election security, the Nigeria Police, apart from additional manpower from sister agencies, is going to deploy a total of 22,239 officers for the exercise.”

 

Represented by the Assistant Inspector General, AIG zone 17, Abiodun Oladimeji, the IGP said: “The Nigeria Police and other supporting security agencies responsible for providing security in the forthcoming election have a responsibility to solidly synergize and work as a formidable team to identify and nip in the bud, all security threats, provide water-tight security at the polling stations as well as all the public spaces within the state. Security of the voters the electoral officials, the electoral materials and the general public will have to be effectively provided before, during and after the election. This can be efficiently achieved by concerted covert and overt operations by the synergized security agencies assigned for the election duties.”

 

Other stakeholders

Egbetokun advised other stakeholders like the political parties, the contesting candidates, and their agents to conduct themselves peacefully and lawfully, in line with global best practices of democracy.

 

“All stakeholders should eschew violence, avoid the do-or-die approach, should not employ thuggery, and play the game according to the rules in the spirit of sportsmanship that will enable the loser to lose gallantly and the winner to be magnanimous in victory. It should be stated that violators of electoral laws run the risk of diligent prosecution. He that loses today may win tomorrow- there is always hope for the future.”

 

He called on the press and the observers, to report objectively with a quantum of positivity and project the true image of the election without negative sentiments that are capable of triggering a breach of the peace to aid security agencies maintaing a peaceful and hitch-free conduct of the election.

 

High stakes election

The Ondo State Supervising National Commissioner, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, said the people of Ondo State, like all citizens, deserve an election that reflects their will, free from undue influence, violence, and malpractices noting that the stakes are high, as this election will not only determine the leadership of a vibrant state but also serve as a compass of the commission’s ability to conduct peaceful, free, fair, credible, inclusive and conclusive elections.

 

He commended the INEC management for the leadership, strict adherence to the timetable and schedule of the election, and the provision of materials and personnel for the election.

 

Political Parties conduct

Professor Ajayi reechoed the Commission’s call on political parties and their candidates to conduct themselves with the highest level of decorum and responsibility, bearing in mind that their actions will have a profound impact on public perception and the eventual outcome of the election. ”.

 

The media’s role

“To our partners in the media, your role in this process cannot be overemphasized. As conveyors of information, we depend on your professionalism, accuracy, and impartiality to inform the electorate and to contribute positively to the process. We urge you to provide balanced coverage, avoid sensationalism, and educate the public on their rights and responsibilities in this election.”

 

He equally called on Civil society organizations who are indispensable partners in INEC’s efforts to ensure credible elections, from voter education to election observation, to help enhance transparency and ensure that any lapses are identified and addressed swiftly as their independence and vigilance are invaluable to this process.

 

Prof. Kunle Ajayi said that the future of Ondo State and the credibility of the electoral process rest in their hands more so that the eyes of the nation will be on Ondo State come November 16. “Let us make this election a positive example of what is possible when we come together with a shared commitment to democracy.”

 

Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ondo State Oluwatoyin Babalola, listed activities carried out so far to include massive Voter Education and Public Awareness using multiple Channels, and platforms, delivery of all non-sensitive election materials for the election to local government areas, which have also been sorted out and batched for distribution to polling units, all Registration Area Centres, RACs, across the 18 Local Government

 

He said sensitive election materials would arrive next week Tuesday 12th November 2024 and would be deployed from the Central Bank Akure Branch on 14th November 2024.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim