Preparations for the Osun State governorship election have entered it’s final stage, with sensitive election materials already in the state and more than 25,000 security personnel deployed for the poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also said it would select ad-hoc personnel from more than 30,000 National Youth Service Corps members ahead of the election.
The INEC Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, disclosed in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday.
According to him, the sensitive materials, including ballot papers and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, are being kept at the Central Bank of Nigeria and will be moved to local government offices on Friday.
Non-sensitive materials are expected to begin moving to the local government areas from Thursday, while Registration Area Centres will be opened ahead of Election Day.
Oketola said the arrangement would allow election officials, ad-hoc staff, security personnel and other logistics to reach their designated locations before voting begins.
“Well, that is the standard, by Thursday we start moving non-sensitive and I mean the remaining non-sensitive materials. The sensitive materials that are ballot papers and all of that will be moved on Friday from the CBN to the local government offices,” he said.
“The police, security agents, electoral officers will be invited to the CBN where sensitive materials such as ballot papers and BVAs will be distributed and moved to the local government offices.
“So, by Friday, RAC centres will open, sensitive materials will move to the RACs and non-sensitive materials will also be moved, including ad hoc staff and security agents. This is including all the vehicles that will move them on election day.”
He said INEC would not disclose the timing of the movement of sensitive materials.
“Right now, sensitive materials are already in Osun. Nobody will tell you when materials arrived Osun. What is most important is that they have arrived. You see, logistics is complex,” he said.
The commission said it would also deploy vehicles, generators, water tanks and other equipment required to support the conduct of the election across the state.
Osun has 2,339,233 registered voters, according to INEC. However, Oketola said he could not provide the updated number of voters who had collected their Permanent Voter Cards following the extension of the collection exercise.
“Meanwhile, 2,339,233 voters are registered in Osun. So, I’m not sure, you know, we extended PVC collection.
“I don’t have the data of the number of PVC collected, you know, but for eligible voters, these are the people who are eligible to vote, 2,339,233,” he said.