… Polls peaceful, orderly, say dep. gov, SSG, state INEC, others
An impressive turnout has greeted the Local Government election on Saturday in Ekiti State, as residents from many of the local communities trooped out in good number to vote their candidates, in spite of the challenges posed by biting scarcity of fuel.
While the opposition party in the state, All Progressive Congress (APC), has boycotted the election, four other parties have participated including the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Results coming are showing that PDP is in early lead, although the voting started at about 9am.
The local government elections also held under a peaceful atmosphere across about 10 council areas of the state the reporter visited.
Local media monitored also reported that there were moderate turnout of voters across the 2,195 polling units and in the 16 local government areas.
The elections were held to elect new chairmen and councilors to pilot
the affairs of the 16 councils and 177 wards across the state.
In some of the polling units visited at Okesa, Okeyinmi and Ajilosun
areas of the State capital, election materials arrived at the polling
units at about 9am instead of 8am .
Parties that participated in the polls are: People’s Democratic
Party(PDP), Action Democratic Party(ADP), Peoples Party of
Nigeria(PPN), Social Democratic Party(SDP) and Peoples Democratic
Action(PDA).
Security agents, particularly the police were deployed in all the
polling units while some observer groups were seen monitoring the
polls.
Though, the fuel scarcity caused lateness of materials in some local
governments like Ilejemeje, Otun, and Efon , but the exercise
eventually held.
The Chairman of the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission(EKSIEC) , Justice Kayode Bamisile, while monitoring the
election, described the conduct as very peaceful and orderly.
The Deputy Governor, Kolapo Olusola, who voted at Ward 7 at Ikere
Ekiti, said the elections witnessed massive turnout of voters in his
town .
After voting at Imiro polling unit at Odo Oro Ekiti in Ikole local
government area, a member of the House of Representatives,
representing Ekiti North Federal constituency 1, Hon Kehinde Agboola,
described the exercise as very impressive and orderly.
“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”, he said.
The Secretary to the State Governor, Dr. Modupe 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.
The Chief of State to the Governor, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, voted in
his Are Ekiti countryhome and described the exercise as very
impressive and orderly, praising the electorate for having belief in
the third tier of government, the closest to the grassroots.
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.
Some traders also appeared at their duty posts to do minor
transactions as the elections lasted.
But elections had nearly concluded by 12noon because some of the
orderliness of the electoral exercise.
The elections were peaceful in Gbonyin, Ikole, Oye, Ikere , Ise and
other local government areas of the state.
The SIEC Chairman added that the results of the elections will be
declared later on Saturday after being collated at the local