Ondo poll: INEC enjoins stakeholders to inspect sensitive materials 

The Independent National Electoral Commission says stakeholders including political parties, candidates, and observers, among others, would be allowed to inspect sensitive materials before the commencement of the Ondo State governorship election slated for November 16, 2024.

INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, on Tuesday, visited the commission’s offices in some Local Government Areas of the state to assess their levels of preparedness for the election.

He noted that sensitive materials for the election would arrive on Tuesday, November 12, 2024; the inspection of the materials by the stakeholders would commence on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, before it would be moved to the LGs the following day, Thursday, November 14, 2024.

“With 10 days to the election, the level of preparedness is very impressive. Very rarely will you find the commission this prepared before an election, that is why I’ve been going around the local governments to see if they have everything they are supposed to have at this point.

“The only thing remaining is the sensitive materials which will arrive on Tuesday next week. On Wednesday, there will be an inspection of the sensitive materials by all parties, candidates, observers, security agencies, media houses and personnel in the commission, among others.

“On Thursday, we will commence the movement of the materials to the local governments, beginning with the furthest to the nearest. There will be the same inspection in the local governments before we move it to the RAC centre, and on Saturday morning, the election will commence,” Yakubu explained.

Speaking, the Electoral Commissioner, Akure South LG, Mr Ezekiel Oyediran, confirmed the receipt of all the required non-sensitive materials for the election which have been dispatched to the registration areas and polling units.

“Currently, we have received almost all the required non-sensitive materials for the election and they have been batched into Registration Areas and Polling Units. In conclusion, we are fully ready to conduct a free, fair, credible, inclusive and conclusive election in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election,” Oyediran stated.

On Monday, the INEC boss expressed optimism that the Ondo governorship election would be a successful exercise, as he said the commission had learnt its lessons from the Edo State governorship election and previous elections in the areas of logistics and results management.