We can predict strictly that the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, will return despite issues against his deep capacity.
Aljazirah Octopus sees his financial strength as his immediate response to his opponents capacities. His major contender for the seat, Agboola Ajayi, is also a former deputy governor, who had served as deputy to one same governor, the Rotimi Akeredolu.
Ayedatiwa is going to make good his plans to become governor, following his stronghold on traditional leaders and leaders of thought in the state.
As a prelude to the election, President Bola Tinubu has urged all political stakeholders and the electorate in the State to uphold peace and fulfill their civic responsibilities without fear during Saturday’s governorship election, even as all is set for its conduct.
Tinubu made the call in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Friday in Abuja.
The President also canvassed for democratic process in the state that would genuinely reflect the people’s will and power to freely choose their leaders.
The Independent National Electoral Commission says 2,053,061 voters have been registered for the poll. The latest figure includes the 58,708 new voters added during the continuous voter registration exercise. According to INEC, 3,132 voters transferred their registrations into the state, while 123 voters transferred out.
As at yesterday, the INEC disclosed that it has deployed 4,002 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines for the election.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ondo State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, disclosed on Friday in Akure, the state capital
that the commission had also deployed additional 812 BVAS machines as reserve in case any of the deployed machines developed faults.
“We are ready. We have created enough voter awareness through the multiple channels we deployed for the exercise. We have engaged, recruited our ad-hoc staff, SPOs, presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers,” Babalola said.
The Commission, while declaring its readiness added that it has distributed sensitive materials to the 18 Local Government Area of the State ahead of the poll.
The early distribution of the sensitive materials was to show that the commission was ready for the election.
The REC said that the sensitive materials were being distributed to ensure that no ward or polling unit was omitted.
She re-assured the residents of the state, political parties and all stakeholders, of the commission’s readiness to conduct a transparent, free and fair election.
Meanwhile, in a bid to ensure security at the poll, Nigeria Police Force says it has tightened security ahead of the election in Ondo State, expressing its readiness to ward off any form of threat during the poll.
This is contained in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, on Thursday in Abuja.
Adejobi said the Police had firmed up security architecture in the state by deploying officers across all the 18 local government areas, 203 wards and the 3, 933 polling units in the state.
He assured that at least four Police officers in collaboration with other security personnel will be present at each polling unit, to ensure a smooth poll.
In the same vein,
the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has assured that security agencies would be non-partisan and impartial in their role in the Nov. 16 governorship election in Ondo state.
Musa gave the assurance on Thursday in Akure during a meeting with the head of security agencies in Ondo State ahead of the governorship election.
The CDS said that he was in the state on the directives of President Bola Tinubu to coordinate and ensure synergy among security agencies to provide cover during the election.
He charged the security forces to be professional in discharging their duties.
Musa, who commended the security forces for their conduct in the last Edo governorship election, charged them to repeat the feat achieved there in Ondo State.
“As security agencies, we are working together as a team and Ondo State has been a very peaceful place.
“We want to sustain that and ensure that this is the best election in Ondo State.
“I want to appeal to all Nigerians, especially good people of Ondo State, that they should all come out en-mass to vote for whom they want.
“Nobody will intimidate you, electorate. Security forces are working like a team. We are one family as Nigerians.
“Our own job is to make sure that we provide enabling environment, and we are going to do that
“We are going to remain committed, impartial in all we do.
“We are not going to take sides, because we want free, fair and credible election,” he said.
Musa, therefore, called on all heads of security agencies, particularly in the state, to monitor their men in the filed so that they do not derail from their mandate.
” So, don’t allow anybody to make us look stupid, and let us do our best for the sake of Ondo State and the country at large,” he said.
The heads of security agencies including NSCDC, Nigeria Immigration Services, FRSC, Police and others all pledged their commitments to ensure their men discharge their duties well.
Similarly, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has ordered the deployment of 6,000 officers to ensure security during the poll.
This was contained in a statement issued by Babawale Afolabi, the NSCDC’s National Public Relations Officer, at the National Headquarters in Abuja.
Audi emphasised that the NSCDC is fully prepared to contribute to a free, fair, and credible election process.
He said that the Corps would deploy officers from neighbouring states, including Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Edo, and Delta, to strengthen security efforts.
“The NSCDC will play key roles in protecting critical national assets and infrastructure, securing INEC officials and ad hoc staff, safeguarding the movement and distribution of election materials, and monitoring the entire election process until the results are announced”, Audi stated.
He confirmed that the Corps’ officers would be present across Ondo’s 18 Local Government Areas, 203 Wards, and 3,933 Polling Units, including Coastal communities.
According to the statement, the deployed personnel would include Special Female Squad, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Agro Rangers Unit, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives Unit (CBRNE), K-9 Unit, Marine Unit, and Election Monitoring Unit (EMU).
According to Audi, the Intelligence and Investigation Department will also play a significant role, with a focus on preventing political violence and curbing potential election-related unrest.
Audi affirmed that the NSCDC remains committed to protecting voters’ rights and warned that anyone engaging in criminal activities would face swift action under the electoral laws.
She said, “The security agencies have given us assurance. We trained them to be professional and be committed to the job they engage in.
“We also taught them our process. You know, when you don’t know someone else’s process, some things you think are not right, some things you think are wrong. So we have trained them and they have cascaded this training to their commands.”
She assured that the commission would activate the Registration Area Centres (RACs) earlier than usual to ensure early deployment of voting materials to the polling units.
Whereas there are 17 candidates in this election, pundits are of the view that the election is a two- horse race between the
incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who are the clear frontrunners.
The other candidates include Ajibola Falaiye (Accord), Omolere Akinuli (AA), Oluwaseyi Ajayi (AAC), Olatunji Popoola (APGA), Isaac Ogunfeyimi (APM), Babatunde Fadoju (APP), Adeyemi Nejo (ADC), Sola Ebiseni (LP), Olugbenga Edema (NNPP), and Babatunde Alli (PRP)
The others are Ayodeji Akinnodi (ADP), Bamidele Akingboye (SDP), Otitoloju Akinmurele (YPP), Kehinde Adegoke (YPP), and Abbas Mimiko (ZLP).
