Ekiti 2018: IPAC Warns Police, INEC Against Electoral Fraud
As the race to the 2018 governorship election gathers momentum in Ekiti State, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has warned the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) against subverting the will of the populace to forestall the ignition of crisis of monumental proportion .
The body spoke on Friday when the Chairman of IPAC in Ekiti, Dr Dele Ekunola, led leaders of all political parties operating in Ekiti on a courtesy visit on the factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the State, Barrister Gboyega Oguntuase.
They told the two institutions, which play pivotal roles in the conduct of elections to resist all forms of dictations from interested political gladiators to avert anarchy in the state.
The body also passed confidence vote on Governor Ayodele Fayose on some of the landmark achievements of his administration since inception on October 16, 2014 after his electoral victory in the June 21, 2014 governorship poll.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress(APC) was not represented at the meeting.
Ekunola said there is need for the police and INEC to be apolitical to avert a repeat of the multifaceted 1983 political upheavals that engulfed the Old Ondo State, causing the deaths of many innocent citizens.
“What we expect INEC and police to do is that, they must not be dictated to. They must comply with the electoral acts very rigidly. Police and INEC must not be used for electoral fraud, because they belong to Nigerians and not any individual.
“They must not force any candidate on Ekiti and this can only happen if they allow the electorate to freely choose their leader, because we want Ekiti of tomorrow to be better than today.
“The police in particular must not tolerate intruders from coming to Ekiti to foment trouble, because anything contrary to the wish of Ekiti.”