The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that security officers deployed for duty in the November 16 off-cycle governorship election in Ondo state will swear an oath of neutrality ahead of the exercise.

Oluwatoyin Babalola, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, stated this on Monday while addressing journalists in Akure, the state capital.

“These security personnel who will be taking part in the conduct of the election will take an oath of loyalty and neutrality, and it is part of the Electoral Act to do so,” she said.

Mrs Babalola added that the commission had commenced the training of security agencies for the election, revealing that a total of 11,799 officers were drawn from the different security units and formations in the state.

According to her, the training was necessary for the commission to collaborate with security agencies in the state to ensure the safeguarding of voters for a peaceful election exercise.

“To ensure a secure electoral environment before, during, and after the November 16 governorship election, INEC has commenced the Election Security Personnel (ESP) training. This programme is designed for all categories of security personnel to be deployed at various stages of the election. 

“A total of 11,799 of them are going to undergo three days of training for the exercise. This training aims to equip our security agents with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle the unique challenges that may arise before, during, and after the election. 

“At the end of this training, they are expected to cascade the training down the line, having acquired the requisite skills and knowledge to effectively bring out the best and enhance a high level of professionalism among the security personnel deployed for the election.”

While assuring that INEC was prepared for a transparent election exercise in the state, Mrs Babalola also revealed that the electoral body is now ready to present the official register of voters in the state to political parties.

The REC reiterated that the total number of newly registered voters in the state, which stood at 2,053,061, would be presented to the political parties today (Tuesday) in line with the provisions of Section 10 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

She, however, added that the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would commence on Thursday, stressing that the exercise would take place in all 203 wards of the state.