The Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has ordered restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation from 12am to 6pm in Ondo and 25 other states holding bye-elections tomorrow Saturday.

This is with the exclusion of those on essential duties such as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, election observers, accredited journalists, ambulances responding to medical emergencies, and firefighters among others.

In Ondo State, Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives became vacant following the appointment of Bunmi Tunji-Ojo who represented the constituency before he was appointed Minister of Interior by President Bola Tinubu.

The IG also ordered a ban on all security aides to VIPs and escorts from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made the development known in a statement on Thursday.

Meanwhile, having collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), a total of 4,613,291 voters are expected to participate in the upcoming re-run and bye-elections set to be held in 26 states of the Federation on Saturday,INEC has revealed.

According to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, INEC Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, made the disclosure when he led a delegation to the Headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force in Abuja to request the NAF’s assistance to deliver election materials to three locations in the North-East, South-East, and South-West where the election will be taken place.

Giving the breakdown, Professor Mahmood said two Senators, four members of the House of Representatives, and three members of State Assemblies will be elected in bye-elections to replace members who passed on or resigned their memberships of national and State Assemblies in nine States, while in other States, re-run elections will take place at designated constituencies or Polling Units as ordered by the Election Appeal Tribunals.

He said, “The elections will fill vacancies in three Senatorial Districts, 17 Federal and 28 State Constituencies spread across 80 Local Government Areas, 575 Registration Areas/Wards, and 8,934 Polling Units involving 4,904,627 registered voters, out of which 4,613,291 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) have been collected.”

Prof. Yakubu acknowledged that the Commission could not handle such a huge national assignment alone saying “that is why we seek to mobilize every national asset, including NAF”.