Osun election: Sensitive materials arrive Osogbo, 30,000 corps members mobilised

Sensitive election materials have arrived in Osogbo ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, while the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it will draw ad-hoc personnel from a pool of more than 30,000 National Youth Service Corps members.

 

The development comes as security agencies intensify preparations for the August 15 poll, with at least 25,310 personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission deployed across the state.

 

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, disclosed the commission’s preparations in an interview on Monday.

 

Oketola said INEC would draw its ad-hoc personnel from more than 30,000 NYSC members, although he could not give the exact number that would be deployed.

 

He said 2,339,233 voters were registered in Osun State but that the commission was yet to provide the latest figure for voters who collected their Permanent Voter Cards following the extension of the collection exercise.

 

Oketola said sensitive materials, including ballot papers and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

 

He explained that the materials would be moved to local government offices and Registration Area Centres ahead of the election.

 

He said, “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.”

 

According to him, disclosing details of the movement of sensitive materials could expose them to security risks.

 

He said non-sensitive materials would begin moving to Registration Area Centres on Thursday, while sensitive materials would be transported from the CBN to local government offices on Friday.

 

Oketola said ad-hoc staff, security personnel and vehicles would also be deployed to the RACs ahead of Election Day to ensure polling commenced as scheduled.

 

He said INEC had also made arrangements to provide generators, water tanks and other logistics equipment required for the election.

 

No fewer than 25,310 personnel from security and law-enforcement agencies have been deployed across Osun ahead of the election.

 

The figure comprises 15,000 police officers, 10,210 NSCDC personnel and about 100 EFCC officers.

 

The NSCDC deployment includes personnel drawn from 10 neighbouring states, including Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos, Kwara, Edo, Kogi and Delta, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

 

The corps has also deployed specialised units, including its Special Intelligence Squad, Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Specialised Female Squad, Special Strike Force, Crack Squad and K9 Unit.

 

NSCDC Commandant-General, Prof. Abubakar Audi, said the personnel had been directed to remain professional, neutral and respectful of citizens’ rights.

 

He warned political thugs and others planning to disrupt the election that they would face the law.

 

Meanwhile, the military has taken over security duties at the Osun State INEC headquarters in Osogbo, with armed soldiers and three Armoured Personnel Carriers reportedly deployed to the premises.

 

The development adds to the growing security presence in the state as authorities prepare for the election.

 

The Inter-Party Advisory Council has urged INEC and security agencies to ensure that Saturday’s election is free, fair and credible.

 

IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, called on political actors to reduce inflammatory rhetoric and avoid actions capable of escalating tension.

 

He said security personnel must operate within their constitutional and statutory mandates and protect voters, candidates, party agents, electoral officials and election materials without discrimination.

 

Dantalle also condemned vote buying and electoral violence and criticised the freezing of Osun State Government accounts by the EFCC, describing the action as politically motivated.

 

He urged political parties and their supporters to pursue grievances through lawful channels, stressing that the credibility of the election depended not only on who won but also on the integrity of the process.

 

The election will feature 14 political parties, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam among the leading contenders.