The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distributed sensitive materials to the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo State ahead of the November 16, 2024, governorship election in the state.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, Oluwatoyin Babalola, monitored the exercise at the Akure branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Thursday, November 13.
Babalola said the early distribution of the sensitive materials was to show that INEC was ready for the election.
The INEC REC stated that the sensitive materials were being distributed to ensure that no ward or polling unit was omitted.
She reassured the people of Ondo State, political parties, and all stakeholders of INEC’s readiness to conduct a transparent, free, and fair election.
Babalola said: “We promise that the commission will be transparent in the conduct of the election. You can see that the distribution exercise is going on very smoothly.
“The farthest local governments have started moving to their locations. All the other local governments have received their materials, they are checking and loading the vehicles.
“I’m sure that in another one and a half hours, we should be out of it. You can see the logistics we are distributing today and the vehicles are already moving.
“Ilaje has left, Ese-Odo has left, Okitipupa, and Irele are loading. They will soon leave.
“Then we move to the next set, Akoko North-East, North-West, Akoko South-West, South-East, Owo, and Ose; they have collected all their materials and they will leave any moment from now.
“Then Odigbo, Ondo-East, Ondo-West, Ifedore, Axis, they are leaving. We are on course. We are moving. The movement is not local government by local government. We are doing simultaneous movement.”
The INEC official noted that there are boats that would transport both men and materials in the Ilaje and Ese-Odo areas of Ondo State
She added: “We also have the support of the Nigerian Navy. They are giving us gunboats to secure the movement.
“For the land where we have difficult terrain, we will move out to the place where vehicles can reach and we will continue the rest with suitable means of transportation.”
Babalola, therefore, appealed to the political parties and their supporters to eschew violence on election day and after the election.
