By Isaac Olufemi Ojo
IBADAN — As preparations gather momentum for the 2027 general elections, the Oyo State Directorate of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), alongside the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other critical stakeholders, has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to fostering a peaceful, credible, and inclusive electoral process in the state.
This resolution was reached on Wednesday in Ibadan during an Electoral Risk Management Sensitisation Workshop organised by INEC.
The workshop drew key stakeholders from across the state, including Electoral Officers from the 33 Local Government Areas of Oyo State, top hierarchy security personnel, and representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
Speaking through the Deputy Director of Civic Values and Democracy Education, Mrs. Florence Siyanbade, the State Director of NOA, Mrs. Ajolayo Sinmiat Akande, lauded INEC for the timely initiative, describing it as a vital intervention toward bolstering stakeholder preparedness against threats before, during, and after the polls.
Mrs. Akande assured that the agency is fully primed to scale up its public enlightenment campaigns and civic orientation programmes to encourage eligible citizens to actively participate and exercise their franchise.
“Beyond voter participation, citizens must also understand the need to conduct themselves peacefully, respect electoral laws, and reject all forms of violence, intimidation, and other actions capable of undermining democratic governance,” she noted.
She added that the training would significantly equip field personnel deployed to various voting centres to recognise potential security threats and respond proactively, stressing that timely information sharing and multi-agency synergy remain indispensable to forestalling electoral violence.
Earlier, declaring the workshop open, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Prof. Rahmon Adeniran Tella, commended participants for their dedication to safeguarding the electoral framework.
In her keynote address, the Oyo State INEC Administrative Secretary stressed that effective electoral risk management goes beyond merely identifying potential flashpoints to fashioning out practical, preemptive strategies to stop them from escalating. She called for stronger inter-agency cooperation and prompt intelligence sharing among stakeholders.
The Head of Planning and Monitoring Department at INEC Oyo State outlined the core objectives of the session, which included building capacity for early warning signs detection, refining response mechanisms, and driving evidence-based planning ahead of 2027.
A major highpoint of the workshop featured an extensive assessment of threat factors across the 33 local councils—ranging from ballot box-related incidents, arson, vandalism of INEC facilities, and kidnapping, to cultism, armed robbery, and inter-communal clashes.
Participants were taken through practical syndicate sessions divided into the Oyo North, Oyo Central, and Oyo South Senatorial Districts, where they utilized risk assessment reporting templates.
The event also featured the formal introduction of the INEC Security Alert and Notification System (INEC SANS), a mobile software application engineered to guarantee real-time reporting of security breaches and fast-tracked responses from security architecture during the elections.
The workshop concluded with a firm resolve by all participating bodies to sustain collaborative early-warning frameworks aimed at protecting the integrity of the 2027 general elections in Oyo State.
