Ismail Omipidan
Multiple voting in some polling units in Oye
Senator Ayo Arise voted at exactly 11.01 am in Ward 1, unit 1 in Oye council
In Odo-Ado, Oke-Ila, all in the state capital, thugs of one of the political parties are preventing perceived sympathisers of the other party from accessing voting centres , let alone allow them vote.
Ballot box snatched at Itapa-Osin in Oye council. But security operatives were able to retrieve.
A member of the House of Assembly, Olayemi Omotoso alleged that APC chieftains were using security operatives to disperse their agents from polling units in Ido-Ekiti.
Ekiti guber: Fayemi says every vote must count
From Oluseye Ojo, Isan-Ekiti
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the ongoing gubernatorial pol, in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said every vote must count in view of the reports he received that card readers did not work in some polling units, arrests and skirmishes in some places.
Speaking with journalists shortly after he cast his vote at Unit 009, Ward 11, not front of A paths House, Ogilolo, he said the reports he received from the representatives of APC on the field stated that the election has been peaceful in many places.
According to him, “I was accredited without any difficulty and I voted. I have heard about the card readers problem in some places and that affected my wife too. But the officials have been cautious. They asked us to exercise patience. They could see her name on the register. So, there is really no issue of impersonation.
“Although, I have heard reports of skirmishes from some parts of Ekiti State. I have heard about a couple of arrests. I have heard reports of problems with some card readers in some units. But it is too early to make definitive judgment about this process yet. I will plead with you journalists to give me more time to assess the situation before giving you a definitive answer on how the process has turned out. But every vote must count.
Wole Balogun, Ekiti
Poll update: APC alleges members were des enfranchised at polling units in the palace of Ogoga of Ikere
Poll update: APC alleges members were dis enfranchised at polling units in the palace of Ogoga of Ikere
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Ekiti guber: Fayemi says every vote must count
From Oluseye Ojo, Isan-Ekiti
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the ongoing gubernatorial pol, in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said every vote must count in view of the reports he received that card readers did not work in some polling units, arrests and skirmishes in some places.
Speaking with journalists shortly after he cast his vote at Unit 009, Ward 11, not front of A paths House, Ogilolo, he said the reports he received from the representatives of APC on the field stated that the election has been peaceful in many places.
According to him, “I was accredited without any difficulty and I voted. I have heard about the card readers problem in some places and that affected my wife too. But the officials have been cautious. They asked us to exercise patience. They could see her name on the register. So, there is really no issue of impersonation.
“Although, I have heard reports of skirmishes from some parts of Ekiti State. I have heard about a couple of arrests. I have heard reports of problems with some card readers in some units. But it is too early to make definitive judgment about this process yet. I will plead with you journalists to give me more time to assess the situation before giving you a definitive answer on how the process has turned out. But every vote must count.
Ekiti guber: European Union wants to see continued consolidation of democracy in Nigeria – Karlsen
From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Ketil Karlsen, who is leading a group of international observers in monitoring the governorship election in Ekiti State, has described the exercise as a stepping stone on the road to the general elections in 2019.
In an interview with journalists in Ifaki-Ekiti, the hometown of former governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni, Karlsen said the European Union wants to see continued consolidation of democracy in Nigeria.
He continued: “We have a number of diplomatic observers in Ekiti State today. Of course, we came together with colleagues from international community. So, this is a reflection of the huge engagement of the EU in supporting democratic governance in Nigeria.”
He explained that the EU has been sending observers to Nigeria to monitor elections since the 1999 general elections in the country, saying: “We have had observers here non-stop since the democratisation in 1999 general elections. So, this is an important day, a stepping stone on the road to the general elections in 2019.
“For us, democracy is the best, and the only way to secure development, to secure security and to make sure that there is a stable society,” adding that the EU was eager to see more democracies for the people, and democracies “for leaders that have only one thing in their minds, which is to find the best solution to the challenges that people face. So, this is what we hope to see today reflected in Ekiti.
“As the international community, we don’t have any preferred candidate, or any preferred party or ideology. Our only preference is the continued consolidation of democracy and hearing the voice of the people by the end of the day.
“So, this is what a lot of people behind me (electorate) have come out to say that they want to have a choice in selecting their leadership for the next four years in Ekiti and hopefully in that same spirit, we will see similar processes also moving on to the general elections in 2019.
Wole Balogun, Ekiti
Poll update: poll snatching by suspected thugs prevented in Olobe area of Ado Ekiti, the polling unit of PDP deputy governorship candidate, Ayodeji Ogunsakin.
Thugs numbering up to about 400 were prevented from snatching ballot boxes in Olobe area of Ado Ekiti as youths resisted the snatching of ballot boxes