Ahead of the Ondo State Governorship election slated for 16th November 2024, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu met with key Stakeholders on Thursday, 7th November 2024 at The Dome in Akure. The meeting focused on INEC's preparedness and critical issues regarding security, transparency and logistics.
Prof. Yakubu emphasized INEC’s commitment to delivering a credible and transparent election, reaffirming the Commission's electoral preparedness, deployment of technology and robust security measures.
The INEC Chairman stated that only Two (2) key activities remain before Election Day: the last day of campaigning, which ends at midnight on Thursday, 14th November 2024 and the Election itself. He assured Stakeholders that INEC has meticulously implemented voter registration and the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as outlined in the electoral timetable.
Furthermore, he mentioned that detailed data on collected and uncollected PVCs across the State’s Three Thousand Nine Hundred and Thirty Three (3,933) polling units is now accessible on the INEC website allowing voters to verify their status and confirm their polling locations.
Prof. Yakubu provided an overview of the Two Million Fifty Three Thousand and Sixty One (2,053,061) registered voters across the State, including a demographic breakdown by Local Government Area, gender, age, occupation and disability status. He also confirmed the availability of a comprehensive list of candidates, including those added by court orders thereby ensuring transparency and compliance with the rules of law.
Highlighting the significance of the Ondo State Governorship Election on a global scale, the INEC Chairman noted that the Commission has accredited One Hundred and Eleven (111) domestic and international organizations, deploying Three Thousand Five Hundred and Fifty Four (3,554) observers—making one of the largest observer’s presence for an off-cycle election in Nigeria. Additionally, over a Hundred (100) media organizations with around Seven Hundred (700) personnel (including One Hundred and Twenty Nine (129) female journalists) are prepared to cover the event.
He assured Stakeholders that all accreditation tags and election duty vehicle stickers are ready and will be distributed from INEC's Akure office.
In collaboration with security and law enforcement agencies, INEC has put in place adequate security arrangements to protect voters, INEC staff, observers and media personnel across all polling and Collation Centres. The Inspector-General of Police and other relevant agencies have assured a secure environment to ensure safe and unimpeded access for everyone involved in the electoral process.
“Providing security is paramount ” Prof. Yakubu stated, noting that efforts are in place to ensure a safe voting process. Security agencies will closely monitor the electoral environment to prevent disruptions and guarantee the safety of voters and electoral officials.
To enhance transparency, INEC will deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter verification and real-time result uploads to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. The Chairman noted that a successful mock accreditation conducted across Twelve (12) polling units in six (6) Local Government Areas, demonstrated the system's reliability. The results from this trial can be viewed on the IReV portal.
He clarified that dedicated BVAS devices, distinct from those used in the mock accreditation exercise have been pre-configured specifically for Election Day to ensure optimal functionality and readiness.
To ensure a smooth election process, INEC has implemented comprehensive logistics for distributing election materials and personnel. Prof. Yakubu detailed the arrangements for delivering sensitive materials which are set to arrive on Tuesday, 12th November 2024. He emphasized that political parties and other stakeholders would be invited to inspect these materials at the Central Bank in Akure before they are securely transported to Local Government and Ward Centres under strict supervision.
INEC has also arranged land and maritime transportation options to address any potential logistical challenges alongside the deployment of technical support staff to resolve any technological issues on Election Day. “We have put every measure in place to ensure a seamless process,” he affirmed, emphasizing INEC's commitment to delivering a free, fair and efficient election.
Recognizing the vital role of political parties in maintaining order, the INEC Chairman urged party leaders to ensure their supporters refrain from any disruptive actions. He stressed the importance of proper identification, stating that INEC-issued accreditation tags with QR codes would be provided to all party agents to ensure that only authorized representatives are allowed at polling and collation centers.
To prevent issues of impersonation, Prof. Yakubu cautioned against the use of unverified party tags and urged strict adherence to INEC’s identification protocol to avoid unnecessary conflicts at polling stations.
In a final appeal for collaboration, Prof. Yakubu reminded Stakeholders of the Peace Accord meeting set for 8th November 2024 by 10:00 a.m. at The Dome. The event would be presided over by the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the Chairman of the National Peace Committee; this accord aims to reaffirm commitment to peaceful elections. The INEC Chairman urged all Stakeholders to attend and uphold the terms of the Accord to ensure a smooth and peaceful election.
The meeting highlight the critical role of various Stakeholders in ensuring a smooth election.
The National Commissioner Supervising Ondo State, Professor Kunle Ajayi praised civil society groups, traditional rulers and religious leaders for their efforts in promoting peace and discouraging political violence, particularly among the youth. He stressed that a credible election depends on strong collaboration across political, social and security sectors.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Ondo State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola outlined additional key logistical preparations including the arrival of sensitive election materials on 12th November, 2024 and the ongoing training of election staff.
She also expressed appreciation for the support of Transport Unions which will play a crucial role in ensuring the timely and efficient distribution of personnel and materials to polling units on Election Day.
She mentioned that the Continuous Voter Registration exercise has successfully increased the electorate bringing the total number of registered voters to Two Million, Fifty Three Thousand and Sixty One (2,053,061).
In the recently concluded Permanent Voter Card (PVC) issuance, Sixty Four Thousand Two Hundred and Seventy Three (64,273) PVCs were issued to voters. As a result, the official Register of Voters has been updated and printed voter registers have already been distributed to all polling units across Local Government Offices.
Additionally, Mrs. Babalola assured Stakeholders that INEC's Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices are fully charged, configured and ready for deployment. A total of Four Thousand and Two (4,002) BVAS units have been designated for use while Eight Hundred and Twelve (812) units are set aside as backups.
INEC has also placed a strong emphasis on voter education, leveraging various media channels to raise awareness and ensure public understanding of the voting process. All non-sensitive materials for the election have been sorted, batched and dispatched to the 18 Local Government Areas in preparation for their distribution to polling units on Election Day.
Mrs. Babalola further highlighted that all Registration Area Centers (RACs) are prepared to accommodate INEC’s ad-hoc staff, with provisions made to ensure their comfort during pre-election preparations.
She further noted that training for Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) was concluded on 3rd November 2024, while further training for Presiding and Assistant Presiding Officers (POs and APOs) is scheduled for 8th to 10th November, 2024.
Finally, she mentioned that several collaborative meetings have been held with Transport Unions to ensure the efficient and smooth movement of personnel and election materials across RACs, polling units and collation centers, ensuring all logistics are seamlessly coordinated for Election Day.
In addition to INEC's measures, the Nigeria Police in collaboration with other security agencies outlined a comprehensive plans to secure the election environment. A total of Twenty Two Thousand Two Hundred and Thirty Nine (22,239)) police officers will be deployed across the State, supported by additional personnel from other security agencies.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police for Zone 17, Abiodun Oladimeji Asabi, emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and urged political parties and their supporters to refrain from disruptive conduct.
“Security will be watertight around polling stations and public areas,” the IGP assured. “The concerted efforts of the Nigeria Police and other security agencies will ensure the safety of voters, electoral officials and materials throughout the election period”.
IGP Egbetokun urged the media and observers to report responsibly, cautioning against incendiary coverage that could jeopardize the peaceful conduct of the election. He also emphasized the security agencies' commitment to neutrality and professional conduct, thus assuring their support for a free and fair electoral process.
Editor in Chief: Mrs. Adenike Tadese
Reporter: Nathaniel Audu Gana