By Adeola Badru

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC in Oyo State, Dr. Adeniran Tella, has disclosed that 2,305,903 voters are expected to participate in the forthcoming general elections in state.

He made the disclosure yesterday, while featuring at a guest forum tagged: “Speak Out,” organised by the Oyo State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Tella stated that the eligible voters would vote in the 6,390 polling units spread across all 33 local councils in the state.

He disclosed that 2,305,903 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been collected, while 760,766 PVCs were yet to be collected.

Tella assured the residents of the commission’s readiness for a credible and acceptable election.

He, however, called on all eligible voters to come out en masse to vote for candidates of their choice, and charged stakeholders to cooperate with the commission to conduct credible elections in the state.

His words: “I have the opportunity to tell you the level of our preparedness. It has advanced in all stages. This is also an opportunity for us to again come out and talk to you.”

“As long as you have your PVC, come out to vote during the elections. So, we are trying to put our heads together.”

Tella also said that INEC has come up with some strategies to be embarked upon within those flash points.

According to him, this will form the basis on how security will be beefed up during the day of the election.

“What we consider necessary and achievable is the team work that has been really experience among the security agencies in the state,” he said.

Tella said that parts of the measures put in place to address the security challenges included identification of security personnel through the use of tag and banning of politicians moving with security agents.

“A situation where candidates of political parties will be moving around with security agents would not be allowed.”

“Operationalising of no other movement during the election day forms part of what the security agencies are coming up with on the day of election.”

“There will be no vehicular movement and movement of people all around, except those really concern to partake in the election activities.”

“Other security strategies include establishment of situation room to monitor all activities in the respective local government areas and polling units on that day to ensure that election activities go on unhindered,” he said.

Tella said the military personnel that would be deployed for the election would ensure that all neighbouring states that share border with the state are manned fully to prevent influx of political thugs and suspected criminals.

He further said that the commission has succeeded in training some of the ad hoc staff that would be used for the 2023 general elections in the state.

Tella said that the commission had also deployed some non-sensitive materials to the respective local government areas in the state.

The REC said that the sensitive materials would be distributed on Friday in the presence of security agencies, media and political parties.