The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has distributed sensitive materials to all 18 local government areas of Ondo State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Oluwatoyin Babalola, who monitored the exercise held at the facility of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in Akure on Thursday, explained that the early distribution of sensitive materials to the LGAs had shown the readiness of the electoral body to ensure a free and fair exercise in the state.
“You can see that the distribution exercise is going on very smoothly. The farthest local governments have started moving to their local governments.
“All the other local governments, they have received their materials, they are checking and they are loading the vehicles.
“You can see the logistics we are distributing today. The vehicles are already moving. Ilaje has left, Ese-Odo has left, Okitipupa and Irele are loading. They will soon leave.
According to her, the electoral body had been able to overcome the challenges of deploying election materials to the riverine areas of the state,” Babalola said.
She outlined the difficult terrain on water, where the election is to take place to include Ilaje and Ese-Odo LGAs, saying the commission would be deploying boats in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy.
Also speaking, the State Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Adesanya Olaoluwa, applauded the INEC for its transparency in the exercise, stressing that all the parties were ready to cooperate with the commission.
Representatives of the political parties participating in the election and security agencies, including the police, the NSCDC, the FRSC, Immigration, customs, and DSS, were present at the distribution venue.