…as state electoral body promises free, fair poll
. ODIEC concludes distribution of sensitive materials to 18 LGAs
. Security tightened, police, NSCDC deploy personnel
By Bukola Olamona and Jubril Bada
|
The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC), will today, conduct elections for the chairmanship of the 18 Local Government Area councils and councillors in the 203 wards in the state.
At Press time, the Commission revealed that it had completed the distribution of sensitive materials to all the 18 local government areas of the state, in readiness for the LG elections slated for Saturday, January 18, 2025.
The distribution exercise, supervised by the State Chairman of the ODIEC, Dr. Joseph Aremo, was conducted at the headquarters of the commission in Akure, the state capital.
Representatives of political parties participating in the elections, as well as security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Road Safety Corps and the Department of State Services, among others, were present during the distribution process.
The distribution commenced on Thursday after the ODIEC Chairman, Dr. Joseph Aremo conducted election stakeholders round sensitive materials at the Commission’s headquarters in Akure,
The materials include result sheets, ballot papers, and others, in preparation for the elections.The commission had last week distributed non-sensitive materials to all its 18 local government offices.
Aremo said the day for the distribution was set to enable the stakeholders observe that the materials were intact.
“All the materials are available to ensure there is nobody who is eligible to vote is disenfranchised.
“The process has been on for sometime and will be given face in the law.
“Recently, there were additional voters as a result of Continuos Voter Registration (CVR) exercise conducted by the INEC. We are using the current voter register.
“The local government elections are in two forms, which include chairmanship and councilorship positions and all the materials are available,” he added.
Aremo affirmed that the election accreditation and voting will take place simultaneously.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps said they had deployed officers across the state to safeguard lives and property.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, revealed this during a press briefing at the Police Headquarters in Akure, yesterday.
He stated that officers, including himself, would be stationed across the state to ensure citizens could exercise their voting rights without fear or intimidation. The CP highlighted the command’s readiness to facilitate a seamless and peaceful election process.
“Our officers have been thoroughly trained to maintain law and order, remain neutral, and exhibit a high level of professionalism throughout the electoral process,” he said.
The CP also extended his gratitude to the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the Inspector-General of Police for their support in equipping the command for the election duties.
Similarly, the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 1,500 personnel to ensure peace and order during the polls.
The NSCDC State Commandant, Oluyemi Ibiloye, assured the public that officers of the corps would perform their duties diligently to guarantee a smooth electoral exercise.
The two security agencies have urged residents to cooperate with officers and promptly report any suspicious activities, reinforcing their commitment to preserving the integrity of the election process.