Osun 2026: Party Agents, Electorate Laud Early Arrival of Ad Hoc Staff

Party agents and voters in Osun State have commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the timely arrival of its ad hoc staff for the governorship election. This early deployment was widely described as a positive development that significantly enhanced preparations and ensured a prompt start to voting activities across many polling units.

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the early arrival of ad hoc staff for the Osun State governorship election, describing their prompt deployment as a positive development that enhanced preparations considerably.

In Ilesa, several party agents and voters spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), highlighting the early arrival as a significant plus for INEC. At Ward 8, Unit 7, voting commenced precisely at 8:30 a.m., with a large turnout of eager voters. Moruf Ajayi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) party agent at this unit, specifically lauded INEC for the timely presence of its staff, stating it contributed greatly to the smooth and punctual commencement of voting.

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the early arrival of the staff contributed to the timely commencement of voting, adding that their presence enabled the process to begin without unnecessary delays at the unit there.

Oladimeji Ajibola, an electorate, echoed these sentiments, commending INEC for the timely delivery of voting materials and ad hoc staff. He described the situation as encouraging for voters and urged continued peace and orderly conduct to ensure a credible exercise. However, the election process was not without its challenges. At Ward 8, Unit 10, voting experienced a delay because tables and chairs were unavailable for displaying the necessary materials, presenting a logistical hurdle.

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voting was delayed because tables and chairs were unavailable, preventing staff from properly arranging and displaying election materials for voters at the unit.

INEC Presiding Officer Elizabeth Adaramaja explained that her team had arrived at the polling unit by 6:45 a.m. but could not properly arrange or display election materials due to the lack of basic facilities. She noted that party agents, who were expected to provide these materials, had not done so. Despite the delay, party agents at the unit, including Grace Samson and Rachael Ajayi, were actively seeking solutions to enable voting to begin promptly, acknowledging the early arrival of INEC staff while working to overcome the logistical issue.

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although the INEC staff arrived very early, voting was delayed by the non-availability of tables and chairs, in spite of efforts by agents to address the problem before voting started.