The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) says it is ready to conduct free, fair and credible election on Saturday 16, November 2024.
Briefing Journalists on Friday at the INEC’s Headquarters in Akure, the Ondo state capital, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola said everything is in place for the smooth conduct of the election
The Commissioner stated that INEC had deployed 4,002 Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BVAS) across the state, with no reported issues.
According to her, ad-hoc staff, including Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), Presiding Officers, and Assistant Presiding Officers, have been recruited and posted to their respective fields.
Security
On security, Babalola said that, to ensure the safety and security of voters, over 30,000 security personnel will be deployed across the state. These personnel according to her have undergone training on professionalism, commitment, and INEC’s processes. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) are also collaborating with INEC to prevent vote buying and selling.
According to Babalola, “INEC has conducted extensive voter awareness and education campaigns through multiple channels to inform citizens about the electoral process.
“The commission encourages all registered voters to exercise their franchise and promises a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election.
“Results from the BVAS will be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real-time. In areas with network issues, officials will relocate to nearby areas to facilitate uploading. With these measures in place, Ondo State is poised for a successful governorship election”.
The Deputy Commandant General Operations, of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) Philip Ayuba has warned that the Command would not tolerate any act of violence from any group. He urged the people to feel free to come out and cast their vote without any fear of molestation.
Defections
Ondo state is witnessing another governorship election where the major contenders are the incumbent governor of Ondo state and candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Lucky Aiyedatiwa; the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) Mr Agboola Ajayi; the Labour party, the New Nigeria Peoples party (NNPP) and Action Aliance are all fielding candidates
Three candidates have withdrawn from the race to support the APC ahead of governorship election in Ondo state.
The candidates are the Accord Party Dr Ajibola Falaye; National Rescue Movement Jenyo Ataunoko and the deputy governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Olaide Ibrahim.
Welcoming the defectors to the APC, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa described the move as a quality decision made out of goodwill by the candidates and their parties.
He said, “I didn’t call for this, but I am grateful that my colleagues in the race have voluntarily identified with my mandate and are ready to mobilise their supporters to vote for the APC. There’s no time left. I appeal to you all to encourage your members to come out in full force on Saturday and cast their votes for the APC.”
Speaking at the governor’s office, the defected Accord Party candidate, Falaye, stated that their decision to back the governor for Saturday’s election was based on observations of his longstanding commitment to public service, tracing back to his time as the deputy governor.
“The state has been experiencing relative peace under his watch, which reflects his commitment to safeguarding the lives of our people. We see the infrastructural development that has taken place even within this short period,” he said.
“It is clear that the governor is actively working for the people. On Saturday, we will turn our commitment into votes. We will vote for continuity in Ondo State,” Falaye concluded.
Emmanuel Ukoh
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