'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released a summary of polling and collation agents submitted by political parties for the upcoming Ondo State gubernatorial election, highlighting a significant shortfall in nominations compared to expectations.
The portal for submitting agents was open from August 20, 2024, and closed at midnight on September 30, 2024, in accordance with the election timetable released in September 2023. During this period, political parties were expected to nominate a total of 74,790 agents to cover the state's 3,933 polling units and 222 collation centers, which include 203 ward centers, 18 local government centers, and a state collation center located in Akure.
However, the Commission reported that only 24,148 agents were submitted by the 18 participating political parties. This total comprised 22,689 polling agents, 1,249 ward agents, 196 local government agents, and 14 state collation agents, representing only 32.3% of the expected nominations. Alarmingly, three political parties submitted no agents at any level.
INEC's National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, expressed concern over the low engagement from political parties, emphasizing the importance of adequate representation at polling and collation centers to ensure a transparent electoral process.
A detailed breakdown of the agent submissions has been made available on INEC's official website and social media platforms, allowing for public scrutiny and awareness ahead of the election.
As Ondo State prepares for the gubernatorial election on Saturday November 16, the low participation raises questions about the readiness of political parties and their commitment to ensuring a robust democratic process. Stakeholders are urged to take note of the submissions and their implications for the integrity of the upcoming election.
