#OndoDecides2024: Yiaga observer rates INEC above average on logistics

The observer said the ongoing Ondo election has better coordination than the September 21 Edo governorship poll.

A board member of the civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa, Nnamdi Aduba, a professor, has rated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) above average in terms of logistics in today’s governorship election in Ondo State. 

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES in an interview in Akure, the state capital, Mr Aduba compared the situation with what was obtainable in the governorship elections last month and noted the ongoing election has better coordination. 

Logistical challenge has always been a problem for the electoral commission, a situation that usually led to the late deployment of voting materials of polling units. 

But in the Ondo governorship election, Mr Aduba said he witnessed early arrival of voting materials and election officials in polling units he visited in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Idanre, Ondo East and Ondo West.

“I will be surprised to hear later that they had logistic problems because the few we visited, they seem to have packaged it well, allowing the vehicles to move on time. INEC should have above average in terms of logistics this time around,” he said. 

“I will also go back to the Edo issue where you see disorderliness. But when we come here, it seems they have prepared and have arranged everything, to Local governments. The local government that was farthest away, they started dealing with them first.”

Conduct peaceful, commendable. 

Mr Aduba also commended the deployment of security personnel, noting they were both adequate and professional.

He said he also observed an even distribution of the security personnel and that they were not only concentrated in the state capital. 

“What I appreciated most is the attitude of the security officials. Both the police, the army and road safety and the civil defence, unlike the experience one had in the past where they ask all sorts of irrelevant questions. This time around they were very professional. I must commend the police, they were very professional,” he said. 

He stated that though the turnout was initially low, he observed increasing turnout as the day went by, noting also that there was adequate compliance by the election officials.