After months of rigorous preparation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and months of campaigns by political parties and their candidates, the Ondo State governorship election holds today.
Residents are expected to gather at different polling units within the state to determine who will govern them for another four years. It is either the continuity of the incumbent governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, or the election of a new governor from a different party.
Though INEC has said there will be names of 17 political parties on the ballot papers, only three are major contenders.
Asides Mr Akeredolu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the other two are Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Agboola Ajayi of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Four years ago, Mr Akeredolu and Mr Ajayi contested on a joint ticket to defeat Mr Jegede. But Mr Ajayi, who is the incumbent deputy governor, switched parties in the build up to today’s election to challenge his boss and Mr Jegede.
While INEC said there 1,822,346 registered voters, only 1,478,460 PVCs were collected and they will be the eligible voters in today’s poll.
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For effective coverage, PREMIUM TIMES in conjunction with the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) will be bringing our readers updates on the election as it happens from 3,009 polling units in 203 wards of all 18 local government areas in the state.
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