The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has approved the use of National Identification Number (NIN) and international passport for the conduct of Saturday’s local government elections in the State.
NaijaOnPoint.com.ng (NOP) reports a Presiding Officer made this known while stressing that NIN and international passport could be used by voters as alternative for voter’s card.
The presiding officer, Mrs Abiodun Iyiola for Ward 11, Unit 15, Ibadan South-West apologised for the lateness of officials and materials experienced in some Local Government Areas (LGAs).
Mrs Iyiola attributed the lateness to the lack of enough vehicles to convey electoral officers to their different units.
“There are not enough vehicles to bring us, and I was able to reach here because I joined security operatives in their vehicle,” she said.
Iyiola, however, urged the citizens to come out to vote, saying they could also use their international passport and not only their voter’s card as means of identification.
“They can also use their NIN, International passport or voter’s card as we were told officially; but I don’t know if it’s only for this local government election or not,” she said.
Accreditation and voting had, however, commenced in some polling units across the LGAs.
The election is being conducted in the 33 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state by OYSIEC
There had been a series of complaints of the late arrival of materials in some polling units such as in Ido, Ibadan North and Ibadan North-East LGAS.
At Polling Unit 1, Ward 11, Ibadan North-East LGA, NAN confirmed that accreditation and voting had commenced.
An electoral officer told NAN that the exercise started around 8.30 a.m.
“You can see that people have been coming here to vote,” the officer said.
At Unit 13 of Ward 11, Ibadan South-West LGA, NAN reports that while OYSIEC officials arrived at 8.56 a.m., accreditation and voting started simultaneously at 9.15 a.m.
However, at Units 12, 14 and 15, all within Ward 11, South-West LGA, the electorates were observed waiting for the arrival of electoral officers and voting materials.
At exactly 9.15 a.m., at Ward 11, Unit 1, Abayomi area of Iwo Road, Ibadan North-East, only 17 out of 750 registered voters had voted.
Although accreditation and voting started early at Units 19 and 21 of Ward 10, Ibadan South-West, very few voters were seen performing their civic rights.
It was observed that there was no queue in the units as those present cast their votes with ease.
OYSIEC ad hoc staff arrived at Ward 9, Units 1, 3, 4, 8 and 10 at the Queen’s Cinema area of Ibadan North-West LGA at around 9:30 a.m.
They, however, said the voting materials they brought to the polling units were not complete, hence voting could not commence.
They alleged that OYSIEC officials at the distribution centre told them to go ahead and that the remaining materials, such as the ballot papers and cubicle, would be sent to them.
Speaking to NAN on the development, Mr Deji Adeoye, the All Progressives Congress (APC) agent for Unit 4, said he would not start to point accusing fingers at anyone at this point.
Adeoye said the electorates would wait patiently to see what would happen at the end of the day.
LG election: Makinde urges residents to take outcome of election in good faith
Meanwhile, Gov. Seyi Makinde has urged the residents of Oyo State to take the outcome of the ongoing local government election in good faith.
Makinde stated this on Saturday shortly after voting at exactly 10.21 a.m. at Polling Unit 1, Ward 11, Abayomi area of Ibadan North-East Local Government.
He advised the residents to approach the appropriate authority with any form of complaint arising from the exercise, promising that it would be dealt with.
He said reports reaching him, however, showed that the exercise was hitch-free, saying that grassroots democracy has come to stay in Oyo State.
According to him, the people are going about the exercise peacefully while traffic restrictions are being obeyed by the people.
“So, I will commend our people for coming out to exercise their civic responsibility.
“Before we came in, it had always been caretakers’ administration at the grassroots level without the people, really, having a say in government.
“But we are holding local government election for the second time in almost our fifth year in office,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the whole exercise would be successful at the end of the day.
However, in Oluyole LGA, PDP chairmanship candidate, Hakeem Olatunji, was seen still campaigning without restriction.
When queried by journalists, Olatunji said he was not campaigning but rather going from house to house urging people to come out and vote for their preferred candidates due to the low turnout of people.