By Duchess Ifeoluwa
The late arrival and night-time distribution of sensitive election materials for Saturday’s Osun State governorship election have raised fresh concerns over the logistical preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), barely 48 hours before the poll.
The sensitive materials were flown into Akure Airport in neighbouring Ondo State before being transported by road to Osogbo under heavy security.
Their delayed arrival triggered concerns among political stakeholders and election observers, particularly over the commission’s logistics and ability to deliver the materials to polling locations on time.
Despite the delay, INEC commenced the distribution of the sensitive materials to the state’s 30 local government areas and its Area Office on Thursday evening, with security agencies providing tight security for the exercise.
The distribution continued late into the night as election officials moved the materials to their designated locations ahead of Saturday’s poll.
Only a limited number of accredited media practitioners were allowed to observe the distribution exercise alongside INEC officials.
Speaking on the development, the Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Rufus Ariyo, attributed the delay to the reprinting of ballot papers following a recent court judgment directing the inclusion of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on the ballot.
Ariyo explained that the reprinting process affected the delivery schedule of the sensitive materials from the printing facility to the state.
“We had to reprint the ballot papers after the court judgment directing that the SDP be included on the ballot. That accounted for the delay in the arrival of the sensitive materials,” he said.
He, however, assured voters and other stakeholders that the delay would not affect the conduct of the election, stressing that the distribution exercise commenced at about 8:00 p.m. on Thursday and was completed successfully.
According to him, all the sensitive materials had been distributed to the 30 local government areas and the Area Office, with the commission fully prepared for Saturday’s governorship election.
Although INEC has repeatedly assured voters of its readiness to conduct a free, fair and credible election, the delayed arrival and late-night distribution of the materials have heightened concerns over the commission’s logistical arrangements.
Security operatives maintained a strong presence throughout the exercise to safeguard the materials and ensure their safe movement to the designated locations ahead of the commencement of voting on Saturday.
