LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that the 18 political parties contesting in the upcoming governorship election in Ondo State have significantly underperformed in nominating agents.
According to a statement from National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, only 24,148 agents were nominated, representing just 32.3% of the 74,790 agents required for the election.
The breakdown of the nominations reveals that the parties submitted 22,689 polling agents, 1,249 ward collation agents, 196 local government agents, and 14 state collation agents.
Notably, three political parties, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Boot Party, and National Rescue Movement, did not nominate any agents across all levels.
Leading the nominations, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) submitted 3,931 agents, closely followed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 3,892 agents.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) nominated 2,757 agents, while the Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party nominated 2,365 and 2,206 agents, respectively.
READ ALSO: Edo Guber: PDP Protest In Benin INEC Office
Other parties, including the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Labour Party (LP), submitted 2,100, 1,987, and 1,669 agents, respectively.
The nomination portal for agents, which opened on August 20, 2024, closed on September 30, 2024.
INEC noted that each political party was expected to nominate a total of 4,155 agents due to the presence of 3,933 polling units and 222 collation centres in the state.
In its statement, INEC emphasized the importance of agent nominations for the electoral process and provided a detailed breakdown of the submissions on its website and social media platforms for public access.
The statement reads: “Following the closure of the portal for the upload of polling and collation agents for the Ondo State governorship election, the commission is pleased to publish the summary of submissions made by political parties.
“The portal opened on 20th August 2024 and automatically shut down at midnight on Monday 30th September 2024 as indicated on item 9 on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election released almost a year ago in September 2023.
“In Ondo State, there are 3,933 polling units and 222 collation centres, consisting of 203 ward centres, 18 Local Government centres and the State collation centre in Akure.
“A political party fielding candidates in the election is expected to nominate 4,155 agents. From the 18 parties participating in the election, the Commission expected a cumulative figure of 74,790 agents.
“However, only 24,148 were uploaded to the portal, made up of 22,689 polling, 1,249 ward, 196 Local Government and 14 State collation agents. Put together, the 18 political parties nominated 32.3% of the expected number of agents.
“Three political parties have no agents at all levels of polling or collation.
“A detailed breakdown of the submissions has been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information.”
