Police officers, soldiers and NSCDC officials deployed to keep peace
Akin Orebiyi, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ondo State, on Friday said all is set for the state’s governorship election slated for today.
He, however, revealed that election will not hold in two polling units in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of the State, due to dispute among the natives on where the Independent Electoral Commission should site the polling unit, adding that the poll will therefore take place at 3,007 polling units across the state.
“We are hoping that by the time we commence another voters’ registration exercise next year, they would have resolved their grievances and they will join us next year,” he said.
Police officers, soldiers, State Security Service operatives, and 7,000 officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps were deployed to the state to ensure a hitch free election.
The commissioner said electoral materials have been dispatched from INEC office in Akure, the state capital, to every part of the state.
About eight Toyota Coaster buses carrying members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, have also been deployed as ad hoc staff of INEC to conduct the election amidst heavily armed police officers.
Accreditation of journalists covering the election was ongoing at INEC office, located at Alagbaka area, Akure.
The three front runners in the election are: the incumbent Governor Olusegun Mimiko, representing Labour Party LP, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, and Olusegun Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Ten other political parties, which the people regarded as mere pretenders, have also fielded candidates for the polls.
The Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar has ordered his men to shoot any trouble maker who resists arrest, and announced a 6 a.m to 6 p.m restriction of movement during the election period.
Abubakar said soldiers were deployed during the governorship poll in Edo and they achieved the desired result of being part of a free and fair poll, pointing out that he did not expect anything short of this from his men in Ondo during today’s election.
