The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that all security personnel deployed for the August 15 Osun State governorship election will take an oath of neutrality as part of measures to ensure a credible and peaceful poll.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun State, Oluwatoyin Babalola, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists in Osogbo on the Commission’s level of preparedness.
Babalola said the commission had scheduled a series of training sessions for security operatives and election officials ahead of the governorship election.
“We value the importance of security in elections. Some personnel may be participating in an election for the first time, while others who served during the 2023 general elections may no longer be in service. That is why training is essential,” she said.
According to her, security personnel will undergo state-level training from July 13 to 15, while senatorial district training will hold from July 17 to 19.
She added that all security personnel involved in the election would subscribe to an oath of neutrality before deployment.
The REC further disclosed that training for Supervisory Presiding Officers would take place from July 31 to August 2, while Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers would be trained on August 9.
On the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), Babalola said 3,763 devices would be deployed across all polling units in the state, with an additional 664 units kept as backup.
She explained that the BVAS machines would be used for voter accreditation and the electronic upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to enhance transparency.
“All the BVAS devices have been charged and are awaiting configuration. Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHs) will also be deployed to provide technical support during the election,” she said.
Babalola reiterated INEC’s readiness for the poll and called for continued collaboration with stakeholders, particularly the media, to ensure a successful election.
Osun voters will head to the polls on August 15 to elect a governor. Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, contesting on the platform of the Accord Party, will face Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and 11 other candidates.
