The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday disclosed that a total of 667,064 voters are expected to vote in Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship poll. Speaking yesterday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of the state, Prof. Yakubu said the commission decided to distribute the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to the ward level to motivate the electorate to be able to exercise their franchise rights.
“For transparency, all uncollected PVCs will be brought to INEC office in Ado Ekiti and warehoused for safe keeping until a new date is fixed to resume the PVC collection. “However, since the Anambra State Governorship election held in November 2017, we have introduced an additional measure of transparency.
“I wish to reassure that our officials are under strict instruction to remain neutral. We have also accredited credible foreign and local observers to monitor this election. “We are confident that with the arrangements we have put in place, Ekiti State governorship election will be another good example of free, fair, credible and peaceful election and a further affirmation of the maturity of our democracy,” he said.
Meanwhile the stakeholders’ meeting summoned by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris in association with INEC ended in uproar due to disruption of the meeting half way by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). During the meeting, the representative of the PDP, Hon. Samuel Omotoso; a serving lawmaker raised issues concerning the candidate of the APC, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who he alleged had been boasting of winning the election, irrespective of whether he lost or won. Omotoso equally raised observations about how he and his family were allegedly shot at by security agencies during APC rally in his community at Oloje town in Oye Local Government Area of the state, querying why some security agencies had been openly partisan, even as the election approaches.
His repeating Fayemi’s name as he kept lamenting his fate, caused the APC members to shout him down, creating a moment of bitter exchanges, after which the PDP lapsed into shouts of ‘Eleka Ibo’,meaning ‘votes for Eleka’, a development which lasted more than 10 minutes, soon after which stakeholders met secretly and dispersed soon after, as efforts to bring the situation under control was unsuccessful.
Earlier, the IGP warned political leaders and their supporters not to engage the services of thugs, noting whoever was arrested would be dealt with the way of laws guiding the conduct of elections.
“We want all party supporters to refrain from all acts that can precipitate violence at the polling booths such as canvassing for votes, wearing of party insignias, dissuading voters from voting for candi-dates of their choices, loitering and blaring of siren on the day of election. “We will also not tolerate ignoring of restriction of movement orders by the police. Don’t see election as a matter of life and death.
“Let me state that police will not hesitate to deal with anybody no matter how highly placed found flouting electoral laws. Let me call for the collaboration and support of the entire sister agencies and the INEC officials. Police officers have been warned to be of good conduct during and after the election. “If you notice any misconduct on the part of any police, do not hesitate to report to the senior officers on the ground or contact me directly,” he said.
