THE local government area (LGA) election in Oyo State, scheduled for Saturday, April 27, has kicked off amid the tight presence of security operatives.
The state Governor Seyi Makinde reportedly cast his vote at about 10.23 a.m. at the polling unit 1, Ward 11 in Ibadan North East LGA.
The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) is conducting the election, which is being held across the 33 LGAs.
However, there was a late arrival of the electoral officials and voting materials at some wards as residents waited patiently for the electoral officials.
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The News Agency of Nigeria reported that electoral officials were expected at Ward 9, Onipe area of Ibadan, at about 9.20 a.m.
Similarly, at about 9.15 a.m., electoral officials had yet to resume in Wards 1, 2, and 3 at Aba Aremu, Ido LGA.
A Labour Party (LP) chairmanship candidate for Oluyole LGA, Oyebukola Akinpelu, corroborated the delay.
The election is expected to take place in 6,693 polling units across the 33 LGAs as voters choose their chairpersons and councillors who would oversee the grassroots administration.
The ICIR reports that accreditation and voting are meant to co-occur between 8.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamza, had on Friday, April 26, said at least 12,000 security personnel were deployed for the election, placing restriction orders on human and vehicular movements to allow for uninterrupted voting during the stipulated hours.
Hamzat disclosed this at a media briefing by heads of security agencies and OYSIEC, detailing that the personnel included 8,000 police officers and 2,125 from other security agencies, excluding the military.
The police commissioner added that vehicular movement would be restricted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“Nobody, no matter how highly placed, should go to the polling units with any security aide. The use of sirens or unauthorised number plates will not be tolerated,” he warned.