Sensitive election materials have arrived in Osogbo ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, with the Independent National Electoral Commission set to select ad-hoc personnel from a pool of over 30,000 National Youth Service Corps members.
The development came as security agencies intensified preparations for the election, deploying no fewer than 25,310 personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission across the state.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, disclosed the planned deployment of NYSC members in an interview with The PUNCH while providing an update on preparations for the August 15 poll.
Oketola, however, said the commission could not yet confirm the exact number of ad-hoc personnel to be engaged, noting that they would be selected from the pool of more than 30,000 NYSC members available for the election.
“For number of ad-hoc staff, INEC will be pulling from a pool of over 30,000 NYSC members that we’re working with for the election,” he said.
He also disclosed that 2,339,233 voters were registered in Osun State but said he did not have the latest figure for voters who had collected their Permanent Voter Cards following the extension of the PVC collection exercise.
“Meanwhile, 2,339,233 voters are registered in Osun. So, I’m not sure, you know, we extended PVC collection. I don’t have the data of the number of PVC collected, you know, but for eligible voters, these are the people who are eligible to vote, 2,339,233,” he said.
On the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, Oketola said the items had already arrived in the state, adding that their deployment to local government areas and Registration Area Centres would commence on Thursday.
He explained that INEC would not disclose when the sensitive materials arrived in Osun for security reasons, noting that they were securely stored at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“Right now, sensitive materials are already in Osun. Nobody will tell you when materials arrived Osun. What is most important is that they have arrived. You see, logistics is complex,” he stated.
He said the sensitive materials, including ballot papers, would be moved from the CBN to the local government offices on Friday, in line with the commission’s standard procedure.
“Well, that is the standard, by Thursday we start moving non-sensitive and I mean the remaining non-sensitive materials. The sensitive materials that are ballot papers and all of that will be moved on Friday from the CBN to the local government offices,” he said.
“The police, security agents, electoral officers will be invited to the CBN where sensitive materials such as ballot papers and BVAs will be distributed and moved to the local government offices.
“So, by Friday, RAC centres will open, sensitive materials will move to the RACs and non-sensitive materials will also be moved, including ad hoc staff and security agents. This is including all the vehicles that will move them on election day.”
Oketola said the arrangement was designed to ensure that personnel and materials were deployed on Election Day in time for the commencement of polling.
“This is to ensure that we are able to deploy men and materials on Election Day and then polling gap opens by 8.30am.”
He said the commission was also deploying generators, water tanks and other equipment to the state, noting that the materials could not all be transported at the same time.
“We are going to deploy generators in their numbers to Osun, They are going to deploy water tankers, I mean, water tanks and all sorts of materials, including sensitive materials. These things cannot get to Osun on the same day.”
Oketola said the sensitive materials, including ballot papers and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, had been secured at the CBN, adding that disclosing details of their movement could expose them to security risks.
“The sensitive materials, which are very critical, are warehoused in the CBN. Nobody in any country can tell you that this was when they brought them there. Do you know why? Do you know the number of printers they used? Would they be able to deliver all on the same day?”
He added, “This is logistics. And of course it is also about security. If we tell the public, I will tell you where and when they will be moved. Don’t you know they can be ambushed? So, what is most important is that those things are already in Osun.”