Osun Poll: INEC Secures Sensitive Materials as 25,310 Security Operatives Mobilise

By Saturday, more than 2.3 million registered voters will be eligible to cast their ballots as 14 political parties battle for control of Osun State amid heightened security and intense political tension.

Sensitive electoral materials have arrived in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, while the Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced final logistical arrangements for the poll.

The commission said the materials, including ballot papers and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, had been secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo and would be moved to local government areas and Registration Area Centres in phases from Thursday and Friday.

The development comes as no fewer than 25,310 personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are deployed across the state to provide security for the election.

INEC’s Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, disclosed the commission’s preparations on Monday, saying more than 30,000 National Youth Service Corps members were available as a pool from which ad-hoc election personnel would be selected.

He, however, declined to state the exact number of NYSC members who would eventually be deployed.

Oketola said Osun had 2,339,233 registered voters, although INEC was yet to provide the latest figure for voters who had collected their Permanent Voter Cards following the extension of the PVC collection exercise.

He said the commission had deliberately kept the movement of sensitive materials confidential to prevent security breaches.

“Right now, sensitive materials are already in Osun,” Oketola said, explaining that the commission would not disclose when the materials arrived or provide details that could expose their movement to possible attacks.

According to him, non-sensitive materials would begin moving to local government areas on Thursday, while sensitive materials would be transferred from the CBN to the local government offices on Friday.

The materials would subsequently be moved to Registration Area Centres, where electoral officials, ad-hoc personnel and security operatives would assemble ahead of deployment to polling units.

INEC said the arrangement was intended to ensure that personnel and materials reached polling locations early enough for voting to commence at 8:30am.

The commission is also deploying generators, water tanks, vehicles and other logistical equipment to support the exercise.

Security forces flood Osun

Security preparations have intensified across the state, with 15,000 police officers, 10,210 NSCDC personnel and about 100 EFCC operatives expected to participate in the election security operation.

The NSCDC alone has ordered the deployment of 10,000 additional personnel from 10 neighbouring commands to reinforce its existing workforce in Osun.

The personnel are being drawn from Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos, Kwara, Edo, Kogi, Delta and the Federal Capital Territory commands.

The corps said its officers would be deployed across the state’s 30 local government areas, with responsibilities including the protection of polling units, electoral officials, voters, observers, journalists and critical infrastructure.

Specialised units, including intelligence, tactical, female, K9 and strike-force teams, have also been mobilised.

NSCDC Commandant-General, Abubakar Audi, directed the personnel to remain neutral and professional and warned that political thugs or other individuals attempting to disrupt the election would face the law.

The EFCC is also deploying officers to combat vote buying and other forms of electoral inducement.

A senior official of the commission said about 100 personnel would be stationed in the state for the operation.

Soldiers secure INEC headquarters

The security presence around the INEC headquarters in Osogbo has also been reinforced, with armed soldiers taking over security duties at the facility.

The military personnel reportedly arrived on Sunday and increased their presence on Monday. Three Armoured Personnel Carriers were also deployed around the premises.

The soldiers joined police and NSCDC operatives already stationed at the commission’s headquarters.

A security source said additional personnel from the police and civil defence would reinforce the military presence in the coming days.

The heightened security measures come as INEC says it has completed 12 of the 13 activities contained in its timetable for the election.

The Osun State INEC Public Relations Officer, Musa Olurode, said the commission was fully prepared for Saturday’s poll, with election day remaining the only outstanding activity on the timetable.

14 parties contest election

Fourteen political parties are scheduled to participate in Saturday’s governorship election.

The contest has attracted particular attention around three leading candidates: incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji and African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salam.

The election is being conducted amid heightened political activity and concerns over vote buying, violence and the possibility of intimidation of voters and political opponents.

IPAC demands credible poll

The Inter-Party Advisory Council has called on INEC, security agencies, political parties and candidates to ensure that the election is peaceful, transparent and credible.

IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, made the appeal on Monday following the council’s General Assembly meeting in Abuja.

Dantalle urged political actors to tone down inflammatory rhetoric and avoid threats or actions capable of escalating tension in the state.

He also called on INEC to treat all candidates and political parties fairly, conduct transparent accreditation and voting, distribute materials promptly and ensure accurate collation of results.

According to him, security personnel must operate strictly within the law and protect voters, candidates, party agents, electoral officials and election materials without discrimination.

Dantalle further warned against the use of security agencies to intimidate voters or suppress legitimate political activities.

He criticised the freezing of Osun State Government accounts by the EFCC, describing the action as politically motivated and warning that it could affect the state’s ability to fund salaries and essential services.

The IPAC chairman also condemned vote buying, electoral violence and the alleged use of state institutions against political opponents.

With the election only days away, he urged candidates and their supporters to accept peaceful competition and resolve any grievances through lawful means.

He said the credibility of the election would depend not only on who emerges victorious, but also on whether the process is transparent and reflects the genuine choice of Osun voters.