In preparation for the upcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it will start distributing sensitive voting materials on Thursday.
This announcement was made by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, who emphasized that transparency and security are INEC’s top priorities.
Mrs. Babalola shared the news on Wednesday during an inspection of the materials, which took place at the Central Bank of Nigeria’s office in Akure.
During the inspection, the REC was joined by representatives from political parties, civil society organizations, and the media, as well as security personnel. This gathering aimed to reassure stakeholders that all sensitive materials have remained sealed and unaltered.
Explaining the timeline, Babalola mentioned that the materials were received on Monday, followed by an inspection on Wednesday to ensure that everything was in place ahead of Thursday’s distribution.
She said: “We have our schedule for the distribution of materials. We received the materials on Monday, scheduled the inspection for Wednesday, and the distribution will take place on Thursday.
“The reason we invited key stakeholders such as security officers, political parties, observers, and the media to this inspection is to ensure transparency in the handling of the sensitive materials as they were received. As you can see, they are well-wrapped, and no one has tampered with them.”
Present at the inspection were members of political parties, civil society groups, security officials, election observers, and media personnel, all gathered to witness the commission’s preparations.
