Oluwatoyin Babalola, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in Ondo State, has called on app political parties in the state to respect the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the rules of engagement in the forthcoming governorship election in the state. Babalola made the call at the INEC office in Akure, the state capital, during a press briefing on the level of preparedness of the commission for the November 16, governorship election.
“The INEC is fully committed to conducting a credible, transparent, and inclusive election in Ondo state. We call on the good people of Ondo state to come out en masse on election day, exercise their franchise peacefully, and contribute to the democratic process,” the REC said on Sunday.
“We assure you that every votes will count, and what we can do about the issue of vote buying is that we will continue to sensitise people to desist from this. So we are working assiduously to succeed in the forthcoming governorship election.”
Babalola maintained that the commission, in collaboration with other stakeholders, has been working round the clock to ensure a hitch free, credible, fair, peaceful, transparent, and inclusive election.
Read also: Anyaoku to FG, INEC: Ensure credibility in Edo, Ondo elections as global eyes watch
“INEC has concluded the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which saw a significant increase in registered voters across the state. After the successful conclusion of the CVR exercise, 58,708 new voters were registered. In addition, 3,132 voters transferred their registration into Ondo state while 123 voters transferred their registration out of Ondo state,” she said.
“As we await the commencement of the distribution of Permanent Voter Card (PVC), from the CVR exercise we urge all registered voters in the previous registration exercise who are yet to collect their PVCs to do so, as this process is ongoing at our LGA offices. We shall simplify the collection process and establish PVC collection centers in all Registration Areas (RA) and in the Local government areas for ease of access.”
The REC, however, said the deployment of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was a key innovation aimed at enhancing the credibility of the electoral process.
“May I state categorically that BVAS shall be deployed in all three thousand nine hundred and thirty-three (3,933) polling units in the state for voter accreditation, ensuring that only registered voters with valid PVCs are allowed to vote. This system will also transmit polling unit results directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), enabling greater transparency and real-time access to election results by the public,” Babalola said.
“INEC Ondo state has taken custody of sufficient numbers of BVAS for the purpose of the election, and we are confident in its reliability for the governorship election.
Read also: Ondo Election: Putting people’s interest above other considerations
“Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECH) will be deployed to all Registration Areas (RAs) to provide technical assistance in case of any issue with the functioning of the BVAS.”
Babalola, who also spoke on the security arrangements of the commission ahead of the poll said; “INEC is working closely with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure a secure environment for all election stakeholders. Security personnel will be deployed across all polling units, collation centers, and strategic locations to prevent any form of electoral malpractice or violence. I urge all citizens to remain calm and law-abiding throughout the election process.”
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