The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to begin the deployment of over 5,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BVAS) and other sensitive materials on Thursday for the upcoming Edo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday.
Sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, arrived in Edo State on Wednesday via Benin Airport and were transported to secure storage facilities under tight security measures.
As the 17 political parties participating in the election prepare to conclude their campaigns today, the leading candidates include Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party.
INEC officials, along with security personnel, closely supervised the transportation of election materials to ensure accountability and transparency. The commission is committed to facilitating a smooth electoral process across the state’s 4,519 polling units and 211 collation centers, which include 192 ward centers, 18 local government collation centers, and the main state collation center in Benin City. To enhance logistics for the election, INEC has also increased financial support to transport unions.
INEC plans to deploy more than 18,000 ad-hoc staff for the election. According to the commission’s staffing structure, each polling unit will require a team of four officers: a Presiding Officer and three Assistant Presiding Officers (APO I, II, and III), totaling 18,076 ad-hoc staff. In addition, Supervisory Presiding Officers will be dispatched to oversee operations at various polling units throughout the state.
To ensure a secure electoral environment, the Nigeria Police Force has announced the deployment of over 8,000 security personnel from other agencies, supplementing the 35,000 officers already assigned to the Edo State governorship election.
With these preparations, INEC aims to conduct a transparent, inclusive, and efficient electoral process in Edo State.
