Sensitive election materials have arrived in Osogbo ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prepares to draw ad-hoc personnel from a pool of more than 30,000 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.
The development comes as security agencies intensify preparations for the August 15 poll, with 25,310 personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) expected to be deployed across the state.
INEC’s Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, disclosed the commission’s preparations in an interview on Monday.
Oketola said INEC had not determined the exact number of ad-hoc personnel to be deployed but would select them from more than 30,000 NYSC members available for the election.
“For number of ad-hoc staff, INEC will be pulling from a pool of over 30,000 NYSC members that we’re working with for the election,” he said.
He said Osun had 2,339,233 registered voters, although he could not provide the latest figure for those who had collected their Permanent Voter Cards following the extension of the PVC collection exercise.
Oketola also confirmed that sensitive and non-sensitive election materials were already in the state, with distribution to local government areas and Registration Area Centres expected to begin on Thursday.
He said INEC would not disclose when the sensitive materials arrived in Osun for security reasons, adding that the materials were being kept at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“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.
According to Oketola, non-sensitive materials would begin moving to the local government areas on Thursday, while sensitive materials, including ballot papers, would be transferred from the CBN to local government offices on Friday.
Security personnel, electoral officers and other relevant officials would be present at the CBN during the distribution, he said.
The materials would subsequently be moved to Registration Area Centres, alongside ad-hoc personnel, security officers and vehicles required for election-day deployment.
Oketola said the arrangements were designed to ensure that electoral personnel and materials reached polling locations in time for voting to begin at 8.30am.
He added that INEC was also deploying generators, water tanks, vehicles and other logistical equipment to support the election.
25,310 security personnel deployed
Security agencies have announced the deployment of 25,310 personnel to Osun for the election.
The figure comprises 15,000 police officers, 10,210 NSCDC personnel and about 100 EFCC officers.
The NSCDC Commandant-General, Prof. Abubakar Audi, ordered the deployment of 10,000 personnel from 10 neighbouring state commands to reinforce security operations in Osun.
The personnel are being drawn from Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos, Kwara, Edo, Kogi, Delta and Federal Capital Territory commands.
They will complement existing NSCDC personnel in the state and cover the 30 local government areas, including polling units and locations where electoral officials, observers and journalists are expected to operate.
NSCDC spokesman Afolabi Babawale said specialised units, including the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad, Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Specialised Female Squad, Mining Marshals, Special Strike Force, Crack Squad and K9 Unit, had also been deployed.
He said the units would support intelligence gathering, crime prevention, protection of critical infrastructure and crowd control during the election.
The NSCDC said its Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Operations, Ayuba Phillip, as well as other senior officers, would relocate to Osun to supervise the agency’s election security operations.
Audi urged personnel to remain professional, neutral and respectful of citizens’ rights.
“As an agency saddled with the responsibility of protecting critical infrastructure and national assets, the safety and security of election materials and electoral officials are very critical alongside the electorates,” he said.
“You have the responsibility of ensuring unbiased synergy with other security agencies on election duty to actualise a free, fair and credible election.”
He warned political thugs and other individuals planning to disrupt the poll that they would face the law.
The Nigeria Police Force had earlier announced the deployment of 15,000 personnel to Osun, including officers assigned to polling units and other strategic locations.
The EFCC is also expected to deploy about 100 officers to prevent vote buying and other forms of electoral inducement.
Soldiers take over security at INEC headquarters
Armed soldiers have taken up security duties at the Osun State headquarters of INEC in Osogbo ahead of Saturday’s election.
Correspondents observed armed military personnel stationed outside the commission’s headquarters, with three Armoured Personnel Carriers also reportedly deployed to reinforce security.
The military presence came after anti-riot police officers and NSCDC personnel had previously been responsible for security at the facility.
A security source said soldiers arrived on Sunday and assumed responsibility for security on Monday, while other security agencies remained at their posts.
The source said additional police and NSCDC personnel were expected to join the military in the coming days.
The Osun INEC Public Relations Officer, Musa Olurode, said the commission was ready for the election.
“We are fully ready for the election on Saturday,” he said.
“Out of the 13 activities on the timeline of activities for the election, we have exhausted 12 and the last one is the day of the election. More so, the sensitive materials will be distributed on Thursday to various local governments.”
IPAC urges restraint
Meanwhile, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called on political parties, security agencies and INEC to ensure a peaceful, free and credible election.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday after the council’s General Assembly meeting, IPAC National Chairman Yusuf Dantalle expressed concern over the political tension ahead of the poll.
He urged political actors to tone down inflammatory rhetoric and focus their campaigns on policies, programmes and ideas.
“We urge all political actors to lower the temperature of political rhetoric and refrain from statements, threats, actions or counter-actions capable of aggravating tension or threatening the peace and stability of the State,” Dantalle said.
He called on INEC to conduct the election professionally and impartially, while ensuring equal treatment of all candidates and parties and promptly addressing complaints.
Dantalle also urged security agencies to operate within their constitutional and statutory mandates and protect voters, candidates, party agents, electoral officials and election materials without discrimination.
He warned against using security agencies to suppress legitimate political activities or intimidate voters.
The IPAC chairman also criticised the freezing of Osun State Government accounts by the EFCC, describing the action as politically motivated and potentially harmful to the state’s ability to fund salaries and essential services.
He condemned vote buying, electoral violence and the alleged use of state institutions to intimidate political opponents, urging candidates and their supporters to pursue grievances through lawful channels.
“Let us remember that democracy is not simply about who wins an election; it is about ensuring that the process through which the winner emerges is credible, transparent, legitimate and reflective of the will of the people,” he said.
Fourteen political parties are expected to contest the August 15 election, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji and African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salam among the prominent contenders.
With electoral materials arriving and security preparations intensifying, attention is now focused on the final stage of logistics and the ability of INEC and security agencies to deliver a peaceful and credible poll.
