INEC to deploy 16,723 personnel for Ondo poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said that it would deploy  16,723 personnel for the  conduct of the November 26 Ondo State governorship poll in the state.

This was contained in a statement by the commission in Abuja just as  it stated that it would  publish the list of nominated candidates to represent a the  political parties that had indicated their intention to participate I the poll  on October 27.

While the All Progressives Congress (APC) has  Rotimi Akeredolu(SAN) as its candidate, Mr Jimoh Ibrahim and a former Attorney General and commissioner for Justice in the state, Eyitayo Jegede, are still laying claim to  the candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The INEC statement stated:”Ondo state is made up of eighteen Local Government Areas; 203 registration areas, and 3,010 polling units. It has a total of 1,660,055 registered voters.

“A breakdown of the 16,723 personnel to be deployed indicates that INEC would deploy one (1) Returning Officer, eighteen (18) Local Government Collation Officers, 203 Registration Area Collation Officers, 301 Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPOs), 3,010 Presiding Officers (POs), and 11, 103 Assistant Presiding Officers (I,II and III)

“Others are 1,321 Assistant Presiding Officers (VP), 621Reserve Assistant Presiding Officers, 19 Local Government Area Supervisors, and 126Registration Area Cluster Supervisors.

“Similarly, the commission will publish the list of nominated candidates to represent political parties as well as official voters register for the guber polls, on October 27.

The anticipated publication is in compliance with the relevant sections of the law including Section 34 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), which provides that INEC should publish the list of nominated candidates by parties at least 30 days before the day of an election.

Similarly, Section 20 of the Act provides that the commission should publish the official register of voters for an election, not less than 30 days before the election.