The Independent National Electoral Commission has revealed that it has identified 385 security-sensitive locations and about 200 hard-to-reach communities across Osun State as part of preparations for the August 15 governorship election.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Oluwatoyin Babalola, made this known during a security stakeholders' meeting organised by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the South-West, Adegoke Fayoade, at the Osun State Police Command headquarters in Osogbo.
Also present at the meeting were the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, heads of security agencies, religious leaders, electoral officials and representatives of the media.
Speaking on the commission's readiness for the election, Babalola said INEC had completed a statewide risk assessment covering all 30 local government areas and had forwarded the outcome to security agencies to aid operational planning before and during the poll.
She explained that the commission had entered its "amber phase" and had begun specialised risk management training for its personnel, while field officers would continue to verify security situations across the state ahead of election day.
"We have identified 385 flashpoints across the state and shared the information with security agencies. We also mapped out about 200 difficult terrains because there are communities that are still inaccessible by road. This will assist security agencies and election officials in planning their operations effectively," she said.
Babalola added that she had visited 29 of the 30 local government areas, including Ila and Ifedayo, where kidnapping incidents had been reported, noting that security agencies had assured the commission that adequate measures were being put in place to safeguard residents and ensure a peaceful electoral process.
The REC further disclosed that the commission had already received about 75 per cent of the materials required for the election, while non-sensitive materials had been distributed to their designated locations.
She stressed that a peaceful atmosphere remained crucial to achieving a credible exercise, urging security agencies to intensify efforts to boost public confidence.
She reaffirmed INEC's commitment to delivering a free, fair, transparent and inclusive governorship election.
The August 15 contest will see the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, seek another term in office against candidates of other political parties, including Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress and Dr Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress.
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