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Ondo 2024: INEC To Administer Oath On Security, Staff

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will administer an oath of neutrality on ad-hoc staff and security agencies to be deployed for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola disclosed that 17,705 ad-hoc staff would be deployed for the election while 11,799 security agencies comprising Police, Economic, and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Immigration Services and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) would be engaged during the polls.

Addressing the media ahead of the election, Mrs Babalola said the Electoral Act 2022 has made provision for oath-taking before the election to guarantee the neutrality of those who would be engaged in the electoral process.

The REC assured the voters and stakeholders that the election would be a smooth, credible, free, fair, peaceful, transparent, and inclusive election as the electoral umpire has put the necessary machinery in place to guarantee acceptable elections to all the political parties.

In conformity with the Electoral Act, Mrs Babalola said the voter register would be given to all the political parties participating in the November 16 governorship election on Tuesday.

Her words, ” In line with the statutory requirement to publish and provide copies of the voter register to all political parties, the Commission will present the updated register to political parties on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at the INEC Conference Room in Akure.

“I encourage political parties to seize this opportunity, as it reflects the Commission’s commitment to transparency and ensuring a level playing field. It is also an excellent moment to enhance voter education and sensitization efforts, enabling the electorate to critically engage with party manifestos and make informed choices.

“The Register of Voters is a vital document that contains the details of all eligible voters for the election. The register is the foundation of electoral credibility. It plays a pivotal role in ensuring that every eligible voter can exercise their civic duty.”

According to her, the Commission conducted a Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise between 27th May 2024 and at the end of the exercise, there was a significant increase in registered voters across the state

She said 58,708 new voters were registered, 3,132 voters transferred their registration into and within Ondo State, while 123 voters transferred their registration out of the state. She said the harmonized total number of new registered voters with the old registered voters is now 2,053,061.

Babalola said INEC has commenced the Election Security Personnel (ESP) training. She said the programme was designed for all categories of security personnel to be deployed at various stages of the election.

The training, she said aimed to equip security agents with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle the unique challenges that may arise before, during, and after the election. She said the acquired requisite skill and knowledge would effectively bring out the best and enhance a high-level spirit of professionalism in security personnel deployed for the election.

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