By Jubril Bada

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has said that all is set for the Akoko North-East/Akoko North-West Federal Constituency election scheduled for Februrary 3, 2024 in Ondo State.

The electoral umpire said a total of 145,755 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) have been collected for the election.

The Head of Department, Voters Education and Publicity of the Commission, Mr. Shefiudeen Oyeyemi disclosed this to The Hope while speaking on the sideline of a two-day training for Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) at the INEC office in Akure.

He assured the readiness of the Commission to conduct free and fair election, charging politicians to eschew violence as security agencies are on top gear to maintain law and order.

While breaking down the PVCs collected for the two local governments from the constituency, he explained that 74,564 PVCs were collected by voters for Akoko Northeast council and 71,191 PVCs for Akoko Northwest Local Government.

He said the election will take place in 329 polling units with enough configured Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines across 23 wards for the two local governments in the constituency.

The electoral body had said that no less than eight political parties fielded candidates to contest for the federal constituency seat which was vacant as a result of the resignation of Bunmi Tunji-Ojo who took up ministerial appointment under the President Tinubu-led Federal Government.

The parties and their candidates include: Action Alliance (Aliyu Ajewole) , All Progressives Congress (Ife Ehindero ), All Progressives Grand Alliance( Adesuyi Victoria Alaba) and Action Peoples Party( Ajagunla Olanrewaju A).

Others are : Labour Party (Abass Arisekola), New Nigeria Peoples Party (Akadiri Mukaila Olusola) , Peoples Democratic Party ( Olalekan Bada) and the Social Democratic Party (Ogunleye Muritala Idowu).

Oyeyemi explained that the two-day training was to train the trainers as the Supervisory Presiding Officers will now train the Presiding Officers to be acquainted with the BVAS machines.