The Ondo State Government has ordered the temporary closure of selected public primary and secondary schools across the state ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) State House of Assembly election scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
The government said the affected schools would be used as designated polling centres for the exercise, which is expected to take place across the 18 local government areas of the state.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that the directive was contained in a statement issued by the Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
According to the ministry, the closure became necessary to protect learners, teachers and other school personnel during the election.
It said the measure was also intended to ensure a peaceful and orderly electoral process in schools selected as polling centres.
“All learners, teachers, and other staff in the affected schools are hereby directed to stay at home on the election day,” the statement said.
The ministry added that the directive applied only to schools designated for use during the APC Assembly election.
The state government explained that the decision was taken as part of precautionary measures to guarantee safety within the affected school premises.
It noted that using schools as polling centres would require temporary restriction of normal academic activities in those locations.
The ministry said heads of affected schools would be contacted directly to ensure full compliance with the directive.
It added that officials from Zonal and Area Education Offices would monitor the exercise and support enforcement across the affected local government areas.
WAEC Candidates Exempted From Disruption
The government, however, assured parents and candidates sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) that arrangements had been made to ensure that examinations continue in affected schools.
According to the ministry, the arrangements would allow WAEC candidates to write their papers without compromising their safety.
It said special attention would be given to students in boarding facilities to ensure they were protected during the election period.
The ministry said academic activities would fully resume in the affected schools on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
It urged parents, teachers, school heads and other stakeholders to cooperate with the directive in the interest of safety and public order.
The government also appealed for calm, assuring residents that the temporary closure was only for the election day and not a general shutdown of schools across the state.