The Ondo state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Rufus Akeju, has expressed confidence at the Commission’s level of preparedness for Saturday’s governorship election. Akeju assured stakeholders that the exercise will be free, fair and transparent.
This assurance is coming days after Yiaga Africa released details of elections, saying that majority of the registered voters of 48 per cent are youths in the age range of 18 – 35.
Akeju told THISDAY in his office in Akure that everything required has been put in place for the registered voters in the state to vote for candidates of their choice on Saturday.
“In addition, adequate security has been put in place by the commission in collaboration with security agencies through the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to secure the voters.
“Ondo State has 3,009 polling units, 203 registration areas in all 18 local government areas of the state, it has 1,822,346 registered voters, while 1,478,460 of PVCs were distributed and 343,886 of PVCs remaining uncollected.
“The implication of the above is that only 1,478,460 voters that have collected their permanent voters’ cards are expected to come to the various voting points to exercise their franchise on Saturday.”
Meanwhile, Yiaga Africa said Ondo State recorded a 10 per cent increase in the number of registered voters between the 2016 governorship election and 2019 election.
According to Yiaga, Ondo Central district has the highest proportion of registered
voters (41%), while Akure South in Ondo Central has the highest proportion of
registered voters (15.9).
Saturday’s election will pitch the incumbent, Rotimi Akeredolu of the ruling all Progressives Congress (APC) against his 2016 challengers, Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
