Ninety days after campaigns kicked off officially for who occupies the top job in Ondo State it is crunch time tomorrow as 2,053,061 registered voters head to the various polling stations across the 18 local government councils to pick the man who will shape the destiny of the state for the next four years.
There are 17 contestants, including incumbent Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), jostling to secure the keys to the Government House in Akure, the state capital.
Other major contestants are Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Zenith Labour Party’s Abbas Mimiko and Isaac Ogunfeyimi of the Allied Peoples Movement.
Incidentally, Aiyedatiwa, who was the former deputy governor who became governor after the death of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in December 2023, received a boost when less than 48 hours to the election, three gubernatorial candidates of the Accord Party, the National Rescue Movement (NRM) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) withdrew and gave him their backing.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, who had said the Commission had perfected its arrangements for the movement of over 17,000 ad hoc and regular officials as well as large quantities of materials to 4,154 voting and collation locations (3,933 polling units, 203 Ward and 18 LGA collation centres) also promised that the result would be known on the same day should everything go to plan.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, top police officers, and paramilitary officers have arrived in the state in preparation for the poll. Already, the Nigeria Police Force has deployed a total of 22,239 officers for the governorship exercise.
This is aside from the military and other paramilitary officers that would be on the ground. In all, not less than 43,000 military, police and paramilitary personnel would be deployed for the election.
Musa visited the 32 Artillery Brigade, Owena Cantonment in Akure, to assess the readiness of troops supporting the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) in ensuring a secure electoral process. Musa, in his address, commended the personnel for their efforts in maintaining peace and stability in the state.
He said Akure and Ondo State have remained very peaceful and calm. His words “It shows that we have been working together as a team.” He emphasised the importance of unity among security forces in upholding peace for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Musa urged the troops to remain professional, impartial, and vigilant, underscoring the critical role security agencies play in enabling a free and fair election. “We all know the importance and relevance of elections. I want to appeal to all of us to put in our very best,” he added.
