The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the distribution of sensitive electoral materials to the 30 local government areas of Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The distribution, which began on Thursday night, was carried out under the supervision of the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola.
The exercise was initially delayed following a Federal High Court judgment ordering INEC to include the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on the ballot.
Following the ruling, INEC added the SDP to the list of 14 political parties participating in the election, necessitating the printing of additional ballot papers and result sheets.
As of 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, buses deployed for the exercise were seen departing the Central Bank of Nigeria premises in Osogbo with electoral materials destined for their assigned local government areas.
Speaking with journalists, Umar Mohammed, Senior Programme Manager at Kimpat Development Initiative, described the arrival and distribution of the materials as a positive development.
“It is a very good thing that the materials arrived today. Hopefully, by the time INEC finishes sorting, they will distribute them to all the local governments,” he said.
Mohammed said there had initially been concerns that the court ruling could affect the election timetable, particularly because INEC had to print additional materials following the inclusion of the SDP.
He said the development had raised fears that the election could be postponed, but expressed relief that the materials had now arrived ahead of the poll.
Mohammed also commended INEC’s deployment strategy, noting that the commission appeared to be prioritising local government areas considered more remote and difficult to access.
However, he expressed concern that rainfall could disrupt the movement of electoral materials, urging that the weather remain favourable throughout the distribution exercise.
“I pray it does not rain because the dark clouds are already gathering. Rainfall could make the distribution of election materials difficult,” he said.
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