Ondo Decides: INEC Distributes Sensitive Materials Ahead of Saturday’s Poll

Fidelis David in Akure

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo State, on Thursday, distributed sensitive materials ahead of the governorship election scheduled to hold on Saturday, November 16.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo state, Mrs. Toyin Babalola, who monitored the exercise held at the Akure branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), assured the residents of the state, political parties and all stakeholders of the commission’s readiness to conduct transparent, free and fair election.

Particularly, Babalola noted that the early distribution of the sensitive materials was to show that the commission was ready for the election, promising that the electoral body would be transparent in the conduct of the election.

Babalola explained that the materials will be moved to the 18 local government areas with the help of security agencies.

Her words: “You can see that the distribution exercise is going on very smoothly. The farthest local governments have started moving to their local governments. All the other local governments have received their materials, they are checking  and they are loading the vehicles.

“I’m sure in another one and a half hours, we should be out of it. You can see the logistics we are distributing today and this is just 10 minutes after 12pm, the vehicles are already moving. Ilaje has left, Ese-Odo has left, Okitipupa and Irele are loading. They will soon leave.

“Then we move to the next set, Akoko North-East, North-West, Akoko South-West, South-East, Owo and Ose; they have collected all their materials and they will leave any moment from now.

“Then Odigbo, Ondo-East, Ondo-West, Ifedore axis; they are leaving. We are on course. We are moving. The movement is not local government  by local government. We are doing simultaneous movement. 

“The difficult terrain on water, they are in Ilaje and Ese-Odo and we have identified those areas and we are going to have boats that will transport men and  materials. We also have the support of the Navy. They are giving us gunboats to secure the movement. 

“For the land where we have difficult terrain, we will move out to the place where vehicle can reach and we will continue the rest with suitable means of transportation.”

While appealing to the political parties to eschew violence on the election day, the REC said that the sensitive materials were being distributed to ensure that no ward or polling unit was omitted or does not get materials for the election.

The Chairman of APC in the state, Ade Adetumehin, and the state Chairman of Inter -Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Mr. Adesanya Olaoluwa, commended INEC for its transparency in the exercise, saying all the parties are ready to cooperate with the commission.

Meanwhile, representatives of the political parties participating in the election and security agencies including the police, NSCDC, FRSC, Immigration, Customs and DSS were at the venue of the exercise.