Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that it will administer an Oath of Neutrality to 17,705 ad-hoc staff participating in the election.
Additionally, 11,799 security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Customs, and other security agencies will also take the same oath.
Addressing journalists at the commission’s state headquarters in Akure, the state capital, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, confirmed that the updated voter register would be handed over to all political parties participating in the election on Tuesday.
She further disclosed that the harmonised total number of newly registered voters, combined with the old registered voters, now stands at 2,053,061.
Babalola urged political parties to use the opportunity to ensure transparency and fairness in the process, reflecting the Commission’s commitment to a level playing field.
The REC also announced that the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards will begin on October 17th across all 203 registration areas in the state and will continue until October 21st. She called on registered voters, particularly those who had recently updated their details or newly registered, to seize the opportunity and collect their PVCs.
Babalola further revealed that approximately 295,603 PVCs remain uncollected, in addition to the 58,708 newly registered PVCs now available for collection.
“To ensure a secure electoral environment before, during, and after the November 16 governorship election, INEC has commenced the Election Security Personnel training,” she said. “This program is designed for all categories of security personnel to be deployed at various stages of the election.”
She added, “The training began today, 14th October 2024, and will conclude on 16th October 2024 at the state level, with the zonal sessions scheduled for the three senatorial districts from 18th to 20th October 2024. This training aims to equip our security agents with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle the unique challenges that may arise before, during, and after the election.”
