Electorate on line to cast their votes in ongoing Governorship in Ekiti State on Saturday.
By Correspondent in Ado-Ekiti
The Governorship electíon in Ado-Ekiti kicked-off on Saturday on a peaceful note with eligible voters turning out enmasse to carry out their civic responsibility, amid watchful of security agencies
Our Correspondent in Ado-Ekiti, who visited many of the polling units, reports that many eligible voters were seen being accredited by INEC officials, preparatory to cast their votes.
The Reporters further reports that accreditation ended few hours ago while voting commenced immediately with minimum hitches regarding voting processes.
So far, some of the electorate,who spoke with our Correspondent expressed satisfaction over the exercise.
The exercise involves 16 governorship candidate in contest one of who will emerge the next governor that will take over the mantle of leadership from Dr Kayode Fayemi.
In his comment,Chief Bisi Kolawole, the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti, gave kudos to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for making adequate arrangement for the exercise.
He made the commendation on Saturday in his home town, Efon-Alaaye in Efon Local Government area rea of Ekiti, shortly after casting his vote.
He said though, there was still room for improvement by INEC, the national electoral umpire must continue to work toward perfection.
“So far, so good, I have just finished casting my vote, I think INEC’s preparation for this election is commendable.
“However, I will urge INEC to continue to improve,” Kolawole said.
On security, the PDP flagbearer, said that the town was peaceful at the moment.
He said:” If there is any chaos, the security should be able to nip it in the bud, owing to their presence in large numbers.
“I want to tell you that there are enough security men on ground to ensure peace, but if there is any chaos, I believe the security should be held responsible.”
He called on the security men to arrest anybody that plans to forment trouble.
“We are not saying security men should rig the election for anybody, but I want them to do their job without favouritism or being partisan,” the governorship candidate added.
Contributing, Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi, representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, also expressed satisfaction with the presence of heavy security in Ifaki-Ekiti, his hometown.
“I am satisfied with what I’m seeing, you can see that Ifaki is peaceful.
“I must say that the large presence of security men has enhanced the peace of this community.
“Any technological innovation that would enhance the digitisation of the electoral process is welcomed,”Adetunmbi said.
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress,(APC), Prof. Adio Afolayan, has described the operation of BIMODAL as seamless and accreditation System for the conduct of ongoing governorship election in Ekiti by INEC as excellent.
Afolayan, who is also the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs in Ekiti, made the commendation on Saturday in an interview with newsmen at Efon-Alaaye, after casting his votes.
“INEC is adopting BIMODAL Accreditation System, in which accreditation and voting were done simultaneously in the Saturday governorship election,” he noted.
According to Afolayan, it took less than five minutes for a voter to accredit and vote simultaneously.
“Comparing INEC now to the previous elections, arrangement is assuming excellent.
“So far, INEC arrangement is so superb and okay. Within five minutes, one is accredited, do the voting, unlike before you accredit, hours later you still queue to cast your vote,” Afolayan added.
Afolayan, voted at Ward 4, Unit 4 at Efon-Alaaye in Efon Local Government area rea of Ekiti, also lauded the electorate for being Peaceful in exercising their civic responsibility.
However, some voters in Ifaki-Ekiti, raised alarm that the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) machines were not functioning well in many areas of the town.
They consequently called on INEC to intervene so that they do not miss out in electing candidates of their choice, in the exercise which they said would officially close at about 2.30p.m.
At Omi-Oniyo Voting Unit, in Ifaki-Ekiti, the hometown of Segun Oni, the candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), out of the over 500 voters registered in the area, only two persons had been able to vote, as at about 9.30 a.m.
An elderly woman, who spoke on the development on condition of anonymity, said she had been on queue since about 7.09 a.m, but had yet to be accredited, not to talk of voting.
It was further reported that same scenario was playing out in some polling units in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Meanwhile, Mr Fidelix Nweke, the Coordinator, Women and Youths Pathfinders Initiative, Abuja, lauded the peaceful conduct of the electorate in Efon-Alaaye during the Saturday governorship election.
Nweke told newsmen in Efon-Alaaye that there has6 not been any report of violence in areas visited by the group.
He also lauded the massive turnout of voters for the exercise.
“We are in Ekiti to observe the election process; we have being going round and in the areas visited so far, the turnout had been very impressive.
“We wish it can continue like this; we have not seen any atom of violence anywhere.
“It has been very peaceful; we also wish it can continue like this till the end of the election,” Nweke said.
He called on the people to ensure that peaceful atmosphere being witnessed now was maintained.
The group coordinator said that before any election could be adjudged free, fair and credible, it must be peaceful.
He said, “From what we have seen so far, if the election continues like this till the end of the exercise by remaining peaceful, this election can be adjudged as a peaceful election.”
Also, Mrs Kemi Elebute-Halle, the Governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party, (ADP), insisted that she was still in the race.
Elebute-Halle, addressing newsmen said: “ It is a lie concocted by those afraid of my rising profile.
“Having come this far, it would be cowardly of me to back out.
“I’m set to win this election. In another 30 minutes, I will be joining my supporters to cast my vote,” she said.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
