Ekiti LG Council Polls Peaceful, Credible- Stakeholders
Stakeholders have said the Ekiti State council election which was held across the 16 local government areas of the state on Saturday was credibly conducted under a peaceful atmosphere without hitches.
The election, conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) to elect new chairmen and councilors to pilot the affairs of the 16 councils and 177 wards of the state witnessed moderate turnout of voters across in some of the polling units randomly monitored by
Newsmen who monitored the election in the three senatorial districts of the state, some polling units visited at Okesa, Okeyinmi and Ajilosun areas of the Ado Ekiti, the state capital said the election could not start by 8am as scheduled as election materials did not arrived at the polling units until 9am .
While security agents including operatives of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and police were deployed in all the polling units, civil society organisations and observer groups were also moving around to monitor the conducts of the poll.
There was an initial challenge of late arrival of materials in some local governments like Ilejemeje, Otun, and Efon due to fuel scarcity, but the exercise went on when the electoral officers take delivery of the materials and commence the process.
The Chairman of the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) , Justice Kayode Bamisile, the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, the Secretary to the State Governor, Dr. Modupe Alade , the Chief of State to the Governor, Chief Dipo Anisulowo and a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ekiti North Federal constituency 1, Hon Kehinde Agboola who monitored the election, described the conduct as very peaceful and orderly.
Olusola, who voted at Ward 7 at Ikere Ekiti in the southern senatorial district of the state, said the elections witnessed massive turnout of voters in his town.
Mrs. Alade who voted at her unit in Ifaki Ekiti , commended Governor Ayodele Fayose for reposing confidence in the local government system and working hard to strengthen it.
For Chief Anisulowo who voted in his Are Ekiti country home the exercise was very impressive and orderly, praising the electorates for having belief in the third tier of government, the closest to the grassroots.
After voting at Imiro polling unit at Odo Oro Ekiti in Ikole local government area, Hon Agboola said, “I know that the PDP will sweep all the elections, we are on ground. This will serve as a test case for the 2018 governorship and send a signal that the PDP is still the party to beat”.
The elections were also peaceful in Gbonyin, Ikole, Oye, Ikere , Ise and other local government areas of the state.
However, in spite of the restriction order placed by Governor Ayodele Fayose on human and vehicular movements between 8am and 2pm, some motorists were found driving on the major roads while some traders were seen doing some skeletal business transactions as the elections lasted.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Action Democratic Party(ADP), Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), Social Democratic Party(SDP) and Peoples Democratic Action(PDA) participated in the election.
The SIEC Chairman added that the results of the elections will be declared later on Saturday after being collated at the local government and ward levels.
