Bamidele registers as LP chair, Arise laud INEC

Labour Party’s governorship candidate in the ongoing election in Ekiti State, Hon. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, has been accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Bamidele was accredited at exactly 10:31am along with his wife, Oluyemisi, at his Eyelori Compound Unit 03 Ward B in Iyin Ekiti, his hometown.
His Voter’s card number is: 90F5 AE4E IF29 5361 722, while that of his wife is: 90F5 AE48 3939 5058 762.
Bamidele, shortly after the exercise, expressed satisfaction with its smooth take-off in his Ward and used the opportunity to deny speculations about his withdrawal from the race.
Bamidele revealed how both the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress both at the state and national levels have been mounting pressure on him to withdraw from the race, but he refused.
He described the election as a three-horse race, expressing confidence that he would emerge victorious.
Others who accompanied Bamidele to the accreditation venue were Chief Bukky Ajayi (his sister-in-law), Femi Adebayo and Engineer Lawal Apase, both Labour Party chieftains.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Labour Party in Ekiti State, Hon. Akin Omole, and a former member of the National Assembly, Senator Ayo Arise, have commended the early commencement of accreditation of voters.
Speaking with journalists at their respective polling booths, they also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission and security operatives for their level of preparedness.
Arise, who spoke at his Imogun Ilemio Ward 1, unit 4 in Oye Ekiti, however, boasted that his party, the PDP, would win convincingly in the entire local government except, Isan Ekiti, the country home of incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi, the candidate of the APC.
Arise, who commended the peaceful nature of the exercise, said the people decided to troop out to vote because they were ready for change.
Omole, who was accredited at Oye Ward 1, unit 003, commended the exercise and large turn out attributing it to sufficient enlightenment.
However, materials arrived some polling centres late.
Areas where our correspondent observed late arrival of election materials were Koko Ward 1, Unit 3, Oyegbaju in Oye Ekiti, where it was said that materials arrived at 9.11am.