Yiaga evaluates INEC’s preparedness, election materials deployment in LGAs

Less than 24 hours before the Osun State governorship election, Yiaga Africa’s Watching The Vote (WTV) Working Group on Friday inspected Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in selected local government areas to evaluate the deployment of election materials and the level of preparedness for Saturday’s poll.

Coming a day before Osun voters elect their next governor, the visits offered observers an opportunity to engage with INEC officials, political party agents, and other stakeholders on the readiness of the electoral process.

The exercise focused particularly on the arrival and sorting of sensitive election materials, deployment of ad hoc election officials, security arrangements, party-agent presence and preparations to activate Registration Area Centres (RACs).

At the INEC office in Ejigbo Local Government Area, the Electoral Officer (EO) said sensitive election materials had arrived in the early hours of Friday, with the delivery completed shortly before 4 a.m.

The official, who appeared exhausted after overseeing the process, said, “I’ve not slept since the materials arrived,” he told the WTV observers led by Asmau Maikudi.

He said security personnel, including operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, were already at the location to secure the electoral materials and officials.

The EO also said all Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) had reported and were ready for deployment.

According to him, three Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) had been assigned to each polling unit in the LGA.

The presence of party agents was also evaluated during the visit.

The EO said agents of the Accord Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were present during the visit.

However, he disclosed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) agent who initially reported at the INEC office had left without providing a replacement.

“He came and left and said he would send another person, but he has not sent the person yet,” the official said.

The presence of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Plateau State was also noted during the visit.

Ede North still sorting materials

A similar assessment in Ede North Local Government Area indicated that INEC officials were still sorting election materials after 11 a.m. on Friday.

The development suggests that logistical preparations were still ongoing less than a day before polling was due to start.

Officials at the LGA stated that Assistant Electoral Officers (AEOs) were present at the scene, with each polling unit having four Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs).

Unlike Ejigbo, where the number of party agents present was not specified beyond the parties represented, officials in Ede North stated that 14 political party agents were present.

The LGA also received its sensitive election materials between midnight and 1 a.m. on Friday.

However, officials were still working to activate the Registration Area Centres (RACs), with the centres expected to be operational by noon.

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The status of the RACs is especially important because they act as points from which election officials are expected to proceed to their respective polling stations before voting starts.

The WTV Working Group’s assessment, therefore, occurs at a crucial point in the electoral preparations, as INEC and other election stakeholders work to transfer materials and personnel from LGA offices to the designated locations ahead of Saturday’s poll.

The assessment is part of Yiaga Africa’s broader initiative to independently monitor the electoral process and identify potential logistical or administrative issues before voting begins.