By Seyifunmi Odunuga
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Oyo State, Dr. Adeniran Tella said, ahead of the general election, a total of 2,325,372 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected in Oyo State.
This is made up of a total of 2,088,558 old PVCs collected and a total of 236,814 PVCs collected by new/fresh registrants.
Dr. Tella disclosed this at an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting held on Monday, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Dr.Tella urged eligible votes and other stakeholders to confirm their voting locations, eschew all forms of electoral violence, vote buying/trading on election day and vote for the candidate of your choice.
Tella, While stating that the commission had deployed non-sensitive materials for the election to the offices of INEC in the 33 local government areas of the state, he said sensitive materials will be distributed in due course.
Tella continued, ” INEC received 38 petitions in the aftermath of party primaries in the state.
He, however, said the INEC won 36 out of the 38 cases, the court ordered a fresh primary in one, while one case was still pending at the Appeal Court Tella said.
In their remarks, security agents assured that strategies were in place to guarantee a peaceful election.
Speaking on behalf of the Oyo police command, ACP Ekanem Usen avowed that the police had 100 percent synergy with other security agencies.
On his part, Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Oyo State, Mr Odedokun Kayode cautioned politicians against attempting to overwhelm electoral officials.
Acknowledging the crucial nature of the election, Mr Biodun Popoola, on behalf of the state chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), urged political parties and their supporters to embrace the imperative of the election being peaceful.
Representing Civil Societies Organisation, Aisha Ismail observed that the people at the grassroots still express apathy towards the election,
Though she described the assurances of security agencies as reassuring, Ismail said the masses still feared that the cash and fuel scarcity may hinder the smooth conduct of the election.
Religious clerics, Alhaji Hassan Amin and Apostle Dare Ojo called for continued prayers for a peaceful election.
They urged Nigerians to vote according to their conscience, while enjoining politicians to ensure that no violence breaks out before, during and after the election. News Packaged by Apreel1 Events Tv.