Joy Onuora
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a free and fair governorship election in Ondo State, scheduled for November 16.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made this announcement on Tuesday during a visit to assess the readiness of INEC Local Government Area offices in the state.
Prof. Yakubu conducted a physical inspection of several local government offices and confirmed that non-sensitive election materials had already been delivered to these locations.
He stated, “In terms of the level of preparation so far, I am really impressed by what the state and local government offices have achieved.”
Yakubu noted that sensitive materials would arrive next Tuesday, with a full inspection by all stakeholders—candidates, observers, media, security agencies, and INEC officials—scheduled for Wednesday.
He further explained, “On Thursday, we will commence the movement of the materials to LGAs. Then, there will be the same inspection at the LGA levels before we move the materials to the wards on Friday.”
The INEC Chairman added that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines have been charged, configured, and will be deployed alongside the sensitive materials.
In addition, Yakubu promised ongoing improvements to INEC’s operations, including enhanced safety measures for officials working in riverine areas of Ondo State.
He emphasized, “For those going to riverine areas, we have also devised the means of ramping the materials. In case anything happens, the materials will float on the river, and we can retrieve them.”
Yakubu underscored INEC’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all personnel, including both regular and ad-hoc staff, as well as security officials accompanying the election materials. He added, “Life jackets will be provided to all officials working in riverine areas, both in Ondo State and nationwide. This is part of our comprehensive preparation.”