Ondo Election: CTA Scores INEC Low On Transportation Logistics For Adhoc Staff

By Philip Tayo 

The Centre for Transparency Advocacy, CTA, has scored the Independent National Electoral Commission low on the arrangements / logistics made to transport adhoc staff to Registration Area Centres, RAC’s, and from RAC’s to the polling units on the election day, thereby forcing many of them to the use of motorbikes to access places of postings. 

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According to the Executive Director of Centre for Transparency Advocacy, Mrs Faith Nwadishi, while addressing journalists while giving their Interim report, said “logistics was discovered to have been the major challenge during the election. They however commended INEC for overcoming some of the challenges, despite pointing out some of the lapses discovered in the transportation arrangements made by them in some areas, citing Akure South Registration Area Centre 006.

CTA condemned the resolve of adhoc staff to result into the use of bikes to access their RAC’s and polling units for poll commencement with election materials, tables, chairs and other items. 

The CTA also raised concerns about the different figures that were branded by the Police. Nwadishi said she recalled that the Police initially announced a total of over 22,000 Policemen to be deployed, turning to over 35, 000 and on the morning of the election day, it increased to over 36,000 again. 

Speaking further, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy raised alarm over the incidents of vote buying recorded in LGA’s in the early hours of commencing the election.

They identified places where vote was carried out to include Okitipupa LGA, Ward 9 at Irowa and Ilutitun 3 where votes trading took place, where it was alleged that the All Progressives Congress offered as sums like N10,000 per vote while PDP also offer as low as N3,000. 

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Areas like Osogbo LGA in Ward 01, unit 001; Ese Odo LGA at Ward 07, unit 013; Ward 5, unit 001 located at Saint Johns Primary School, Iba Akoko South East, Ondo Central Senatorial District precisely at Ifedore LGA, Ward 1, unit 12 at Olafare; Ondo East LGA, Ward 002, unit 002 and Akure North LGA, ward 5, unit 13. 

The Centre also commended the Department of State Security Service, DSS, for apprehending two suspected vote traders caught with two bags filled up with cash and machetes in their booth. 

The CTA however advised the security agencies to take lead in collaborating with appropriate political party leaders in devising effective way of combating the frequent and regular reports and complains about vote buying and vote selling during the time of elections in the Country. 

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They also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to continue to show transparency in the electoral process. They must retain the logistics well especially the deployment of the materials. 

Also, they advised political parties to tutor their agents of proper conduct at polling units and collation Centre. They should mobilize their members to vote rather than inducing people into vote buying.

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