The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that 217,980 registered voters will head to the polls on 16 August to elect a new representative for Ibadan North Federal Constituency in Oyo State.
This by-election was prompted by the death of Mr Olaide Akinremi, the constituency’s former member of the House of Representatives, on 10 July.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday in Ibadan, Dr Adeniran Tella, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Oyo State, detailed the preparations. While the constituency has 272,196 registered voters across 512 polling units and 12 wards, only those who have already collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will be able to vote, as no further PVC distribution is planned before the by-election.
INEC has secured several non-sensitive election materials, and expects the remaining items, including sensitive materials, in advance of polling day. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices are currently being configured for use.
A total of 19 political parties are eligible to contest the by-election. Campaigning will officially take place between 2 August and 14 August.
Dr Tella appealed to all stakeholders to work together to ensure a smooth, inclusive and peaceful electoral process.
Mr Adegbenro Fagbemi, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Oyo State, urged INEC to conduct a transparent election and emphasised the importance of security, warning that isolated elections could easily become volatile if poorly managed.
Representatives from several parties, including the PDP, APC, LP, APP, SDP and ZLP, were present at the meeting.
