The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing (IReV) during the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs Toyin Babalola, and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr Temitope Akanmu, also said over two million voters would vote in the office circle election in the state.
Speaking at a seminar organized by the International Press Center (IPC) and funded by the European Union (EU) in Akure, the state capital, the INEC officials said they had made necessary arrangements to ensure a free election.
The programme was part of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGNII) project, with IPC serving as the lead partner under Component 4, which focuses on support to the media.
The REC, during an interactive discussion, said efforts and preparedness are in place to ensure a credible, inclusive, free, and fair gubernatorial election on November 16, 2024.
She noted that Ondo State has a total of 2,053,061 registered voters and mentioned that the portal for media registration for the election had opened.
Babalola also disclosed that a measure had been put in place to prevent the vote-casting process on election day due to faulty BVAS, with the availability of Registration Area Technicians who would be deployed to voting units to attend to faulty BVAS.
Similarly, Akanmu said the electoral umpire would ensure the use of BVAS and IREV are deployed during the election to ensure a free, fair, and credible election. He said similar arrangements have been made in Edo State during the September 21 governorship election.
In his welcome address, IPC Executive Director, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, emphasized the essential role of the media in promoting electoral integrity. He noted that elections are the cornerstone of democratic societies, highlighting the importance of capacity training for journalists in preparation for election coverage.
Arogundade stressed that the dialogue aimed to foster collaboration among critical stakeholders, ensuring that the media remains fair, accurate, ethical, and professional in covering the upcoming Ondo State elections.
He also underscored the importance of journalists’ involvement in voter education, helping to inform the electorate about their rights and responsibilities.
Also, Dr. Tunde Fajimbola, a Senior Lecturer at Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin spoke on the media’s role in addressing key issues in the governorship elections.
Founder of the Journalism Clinic, Mr Taiwo Obe guided participants on asking the right questions and telling impactful stories during electoral coverage.
In his remarks, CEMESO Executive Director Dr Akin Akingbulu emphasized that off-cycle elections are a significant feature of Nigeria’s electoral calendar. He highlighted the need for journalists to be well-equipped to contribute to credible electoral processes.
The State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Leke Adegbite, commended IPC for its efforts in building journalists’ capacity through training. He acknowledged that the media dialogue came at the right time and assured the organizers that participants would strive to achieve the set goals.