Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured the public of its dedication to conducting a credible, transparent, and inclusive election.
During a recent briefing in Akure, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, shared that preparations are underway, including the addition of 58,708 new voters to the electoral register.
Voter Registration Statistics
Mrs. Babalola reported that 3,132 voters have transferred their registration into Ondo State, while 123 voters have transferred their registration out of the state. The updated statistics indicate that a total of over 2,053,061 individuals are eligible to participate in the upcoming election.
The voter demographic breakdown includes:
- 1,034,006 male voters
- 1,019,055 female voters
- 726,944 youths
- 721,982 middle-aged individuals
- 441,516 elderly voters
- 162,619 senior citizens
- 1,782 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs)
Political Party Participation
Babalola noted that three political parties currently have no agents at any levels of polling and collation. Despite this, INEC remains committed to ensuring a fair electoral process.
PVC Collection and Voter Education
The distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will begin shortly. The REC encouraged all registered voters who have not yet collected their PVCs to do so, highlighting that the process is ongoing at local council offices. INEC plans to simplify the PVC collection process and set up additional collection centers across all Registration Areas (RAs) and local government areas for easier access.
Training and Capacity Building
Qualified candidates will be invited for training, and extensive capacity-building workshops have already been conducted for INEC staff, with ongoing sessions. Members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who will serve as a significant portion of the polling officials, have completed 13 weeks of training in preparation for the election.
Voter Education Campaigns
INEC has intensified its voter education campaigns throughout the state and collaborated with various groups to combat voter apathy. A notable innovation for the upcoming election is the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which will be utilized for voter accreditation at all 3,933 polling units in the state.
Security Arrangements
On security measures, the REC stated that INEC is collaborating with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure a secure environment for all election stakeholders. Security personnel will be strategically deployed across all polling units, collation centers, and key locations to prevent electoral malpractice or violence.
This proactive approach by INEC aims to foster trust in the electoral process and encourage robust participation from all eligible voters in Ondo State.