The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, and the Oodua Peoples Congress on Thursday appealed to voters to shun inducements in the Ekiti State governorship poll slated for June 21.
Afenifere spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, and the founder of the OPC, Dr. Federick Faseun, made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos.
Odumakin said: “Our sincere appeal is for all Ekiti people of voting age to go out and ensure that they voted.
“We also wish to advise the people on the need to protect their votes and make sure their votes counted.”
Odumakin reiterated the need for Ekiti State people to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner during the polls.
He also urged INEC to assist in maintaining the peace by ensuring that it conducted a free and fair election with a level-playing field for all candidates.
“The security agents should maintain law and order without intimidating voters or being partisan,” he said.
Also speaking, Faseun said the people of Ekiti State should be allowed to decide who governs them.
He said that there could only be issues if the people were stopped from voting by intimidation or if their votes became relegated.
The OPC leader said that while the people of Ekiti State must insist on having their right to vote and must do so without breaking the law.
Meanwhile the Omonira Yoruba Assembly has advised security operatives in Ekiti State to watch out for thugs from outside the state, who might want to cause trouble.
NAN reports that the calls are coming on the backdrop of allegations that some political parties are trying to woo voters with money and food items.
The Vice-Chairman of OYA, Razaq Oladosu, urged residents of the state to report suspicious movements to the police.
“The people must assist security men in ensuring that there is peace so that the election will not be inconclusive,” Oladosu stated.
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