Ondo Governorship Election: Voters Storm Polling Units Across State

Ondo State citizens are out in large numbers to cast their votes for the next governor. The election promises to be pivotal, with security tightened and electoral officials assuring a smooth process.

The stage is set as prominent political figures step into the arena to compete in the Ondo State governorship election.

The state’s residents will turn out in large numbers on Saturday, November 16th to elect their leader for the next four years.

Prior to the exercise, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that it had approved 18 candidates for the election.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is running in his first election following his appointment as the successor to the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who passed away last year. His main challenger is Agboola Ajayi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who also served as a deputy under Akeredolu.

Although election logistics have posed challenges in previous elections within the oil-producing state, INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu has assured that the commission has implemented plans to ensure a smooth polling process.

“In the past four days,” Yakubu stated during the peace accord signing for the election, “I have interacted with our officials, security agencies, and transport service providers in Ondo State to evaluate our preparedness. We are finalizing plans for deploying over 17,000 ad hoc and regular staff as well as significant amounts of materials to 4,154 voting and collation sites (including 3,933 polling units, alongside wards at 203 locations and LGA centers across all 18 areas).”

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INEC announced that it plans to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for accrediting voters at polling stations and uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

A few days later, INEC started distributing election materials and announced its collaboration with security agencies to guarantee a free and fair process.

“In anticipation of the elections, DIG Sylvester Abiodun Alabi has been appointed by the IGP as the coordinating officer for election-related duties. His role involves supervising police security measures to ensure law and order during this time,” stated Force spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi. “Additionally, AIG Bennett Igweh, mni, and CP Tunji Disu have been designated as AIG Elections and CP Elections respectively.”

As part of the security measures, all vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other transport means will be restricted from 6 AM to 6 PM on Election Day. Exceptions include essential services such as ambulances, media personnel, fire services, and other accredited media.

On the night before the election, President Bola Tinubu urged for peace and praised INEC’s preparedness for the event.

In a statement on Friday, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s appeal for peace and decorum among political stakeholders and the electorate in Ondo State as it gears up for its off-cycle governorship election. He encouraged everyone to fulfill their civic duties without fear both before and after the elections.

President Tinubu expects a democratic process in the state that will truly represent the people’s will and empower them to freely select their leaders.