Isiaka Olagunju , Chairman ,Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) on Thursday disclosed that eighteen registered political parties are participating in the state’s local government election in April, 2024.
Featuring at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondents’ chapel guest platform programme tagged “Speak Out” he added that the commission will commence the screening of the candidates of the political parties from next week.
He stated that the commission will engage about 18,000 personnel to ensure that the election went as expected.
“We have over 6,000 polling units now in Oyo state and we will have at least three people in a polling unit. So, we will have about 18,000 personnel. We will engage them and give them the necessary training.
The commission, he said, is targeting 50 percent registered voters’ participation in the next local government election.
“ The Commission had 29.6 % in 2021 when we conducted the election, though not the best but an indication that we are getting there, residents are threfore urged to have trust and confidence in the commission and vote on election day.
On security, he noted that the commission will engage the police, army, DSS and NSCDC in the conduct of the election.
“In election management, the police is key in security matters. We have visited the police, the army, the DSS, and the NSCDS and the correctional service.
He however declared that the commission will not use Amotekun due to the fear by the people that they can be used to intimidate the people in the state.
“We may not engage Amotekun to avoid the insinuation that they may be used to intimidate the people.
