November 10, (THEWILL) – Ahead of the November 16 Governorship Election in Ondo State, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, his Kogi counterpart, Usman Ahmed Ododo, the Inspector- General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu appear to be determined to ensure that the conduct of the election is free and fair.
Egbetokun said that at least 22,239 Police personnel would be deployed in Ondo to provide security during the election. The Inspector-General of Police disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Noting that a breach of the peace or security could scuttle the election, the IGP, represented by the Assistant Inspector- General of Police, Zone 7, Abiodun Olabisi, called on stakeholders to discharge their duties with security-conscious approaches.
He said, “The Nigeria Police and other supporting security agencies responsible for providing security in the forthcoming election have a responsibility to solidly synergies and work as a formidable team to identify and nip in the bud, all security threats, provide water-tight security at the polling stations as well as all the public spaces within the state.
“The security of the voters, the electoral officials, the electoral materials and the general public will have to be effectively provided before, during and after the election. This can be efficiently achieved by concerted covert and overt operations by the synergized security agencies assigned for the election duties.
“In order to deliver adequate election security, the Nigeria Police, apart from additional manpower from sister agencies, is going to deploy a total of 22,239 officers for the exercise.
“All stakeholders should eschew violence, avoid the do-or die approach, should not employ thuggery and play the game according to the rules in the spirit of sportsmanship that will enable the loser to lose gallantly and the winner to be magnanimous in victory. It should be stated that violators of electoral laws run the risk of diligent prosecution. He that loses today may win tomorrow- there is always hope for the future.
On his part, INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu, who noted that the 2024 governorship election is of global interest, disclosed that sensitive election materials will arrive in the state on Tuesday.
Disclosing that the mock accreditation exercise in 12 polling units across six local government areas in the three senatorial districts of the state was successful, Yakubu clarified that machines used for the mock accreditation and the training of officials will not be used on Election Day.
He said the commission had been equipped with sufficient machines configured for voter accreditation and the upload of results distinct from those used for mock accreditation and
training.
“We have made arrangements for land and maritime transportation of personnel and materials. We have arranged for the delivery of sensitive materials for the election to arrive as early as Tuesday next week.
“We will invite political parties and other stakeholders for the usual inspection of the materials at the Central Bank here in Akure and throughout the movement of sensitive materials to the Local Governments and the ward centres.
“We have warned our staff that there will be consequences for dereliction of duty in any way or form. Tomorrow afternoon, I am going to address the staff, including the Electoral Officers from the 18 Local Government Areas”, he said.
Meanwhile, Osun’s Adeleke and Kogi’s Ododo have called on their people residing in Ondo to vote for their chosen candidates. For Adeleke, Indigenes of Osun State who reside in Ondo should declare support for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election, Mr Agboola Ajayi. Adeleke made this appeal while in Ondo State to join Ajayi in the campaign tour to some local government areas, which was hosted by the Osun indigenes in Akure, the state capital.
Addressing the crowd, the governor said, “All the things they didn’t do in 12 years, we have done in two years in Osun. The election has come, go and tell them that we are behind your ‘governor’ (Ajayi). We have brought the light to Ondo State. If we trust in God, everything is possible. Agboola Ajayi has the experience up to the grassroots. He will repeat the wonders in Osun in Ondo. Let’s go back to our communities and tell our people that Agboola is the next governor of this state. I am glad to be here to support my brother, Agboola Ajayi. All the systems are working in Osun and we want to replicate it in Ondo here. PDP is the only progressive party. Go and vote and stay with your votes.”
Responding, the Chairman of the Osun State indigenes in Ondo State, Mr Kehinde Ayinla, said they would be supporting Ajayi because he understands the challenges of the people and the state. He assured the PDP candidate of massive votes from Osun indigenes living across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Similarly, Governor Ododo has called on the people of Ebira community in the state to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to sustain the laudable achievements of the APC government in the state.
Governor Ododo who is the deputy chairman of the election management and strategy committee of the Ondo State Governorship Election Campaign Council, made the call while addressing a crowd at the APC rally held at the Mobil Roundabout in Owo town over the weekend.
The governor described Ondo state as a second home for Ebiras and urged the Ebira community to repeat the feat exemplified in the 2020 Governorship election during which the APC recorded overwhelming victory in the state.
“I have come to thank you for the support you gave the APC in the last governorship election in Ondo state. I am aware that we have a large population of our people in Owo, Ifo and Ose local government areas, as well as other parts of Ondo state and I want you to take our message to all of them. Come November 16, 2024, I urge you to vote for the APC and Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the Governor of Ondo State” Governor Ododo stated.
He assured the people of Ondo State that the APC and its candidate Lucky Aiyedatiwa will deliver the desired dividends of democracy to the people of the state by improving physical infrastructure, access to education, healthcare, water and sanitation, agricultural development, and security of lives and property across communities in the state.
He described Governor Aiyedatiwa as a tested hand who can be trusted to build on the pedestal of growth and development already attained by Ondo state under the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu who died in December, 2023.
In his response, Governor Aiyedatiwa emphasized the importance of unity and peaceful co-existence among ethnic groups residing in Ondo state. He promised to create more opportunities for nonindigenous communities in the state if elected in the November 16 election.
Earlier, during a courtesy call by Governor Ododo on the Ohinoyi of Anebira in Owo, His Royal Highness, Adayi Isa Ahmed said he was excited to receive the Kogi State Governor in Owo, assuring that the Ebira community in Owo will vote for the APC candidate, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in the governorship election.
He commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for appointing five members of the Ebira community into positions of authority in his administration and promised that the people will reciprocate the kind gesture by mobilizing more votes than what was achieved in the last governorship election in the state.
The APC rally in Owo was attended by members of the Ebira community from Utose, Omolonge, Utelu, Agopanu and others from the six local government areas.
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