Two observer group that monitored Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, Women Arise and Millennium Foundation for Sustainable development, have hailed the conduct of the exercise.
In separate statements on the election, the observer groups said generally, the conduct of the election was satisfactory.
While the statement by Women Arise was signed by its President, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, that of Millennium Foundation for Sustainable development was signed by its Coordinator, Matthew Ogu.
The statement by Women Arise read:
Women Arise one of the accredited observer group that observed the just concluded Ekiti State Governorship Election is pleased to inform the general public that the election was peaceful and to a large extent free and fair. The turn out of voters was impressive but was short if compared to the number of eligible voters who actually collected thier PVCs before the election.
In all the 16 LGAs, election materials and election officials arrived early, accreditation and voting started at 8am except in some few wards and polling units where the process was a bit delayed.
There were few technical hitches where the card reader malfunctioned but the officials were able to get round the challenge a couple of hours after.
There was heavy presence of security agencies but they conducted themselves well.
The party agents though very anxious also conducted themselves well, except in some places like Odo Ado and Oke Ila in Ado Ekiti local government where violence broke out between the agents of the two prominent political parties.
There were glaring vote buying and inducement of voters across the state, by the 2 major political parties.
The various LG collation centres collated their results and went to present it to the State Returning Officers at the State collation centre.
The result were added, compiled and was announced this morning with Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the APC “having fulfilled requirements of the law and got the highest votes is the winner and is returned elected”.
For Millennium Foundation for Sustainable development, with office at 38, Tomasina Street, off Kolda Street, Wuse 2, Abuja, the statement, titled: “Ekiti Gubernatorial Election: Peaceful, Free, Fair and Impressive,” read:
Millennium Foundation for Sustainable development (MFSD) is one of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the conduct of the just concluded gubernatorial election in Ekiti State.
Pursuant to this obligation, the MFSD deployed its members to the polling units in all the 16 Local Government Areas of the State to observe the conduct of the elections.
The findings from our members showed that there was a huge voter turnout in all the various polling units monitored by us across the three Senatorial zones of the state.
We want to observe that INEC officials and security agents reported on time with electoral materials and commenced accreditation on schedule. In many of the areas we visited like Ado, Ilawe, Igede, Iyin, Ayegbaju, Itapa, Ifaki, Isan, Ikole, Omuo, Ikere, Afao and Aramoko, the voters were orderly and the process was peaceful with the presence of security agents ensuring that the conduct of the election was not breached.
Apart from a few polling centres where the card readers malfunctioned, the exercise was generally hitch-free. We also observed the heavy presence of security agencies in the flash points of the state. In our view, this helped in ensuring and maintaining the peaceful atmosphere that prevailed throughout the State during the election.
We want to also observe that the agents of the two dominant parties in the election – the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were present at all the polling centres and conducted themselves well.
Based on our findings, we state as follows:
1. We commend the people of Ekiti State for their peaceful conduct.
2. We also congratulate INEC for conducting a free, fair and credible election.
3. We appreciate the security agencies for the even-handed manner they carried out their assignment.
4. We enjoin all the political gladiators in the election to accept the outcome of the election in good faith and note that the interest of the state is greater than the desires of any individual or group.
In conclusion, it is our conviction that the corporate will of the people prevailed in Ekiti. We must continue to improve in our democratic conduct to ensure that the values of democracy are fully entrenched in the land.