Election observers in Ilesa, the home town of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, have commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for ensuring the timely arrival of electoral materials and election officials at polling units.
Some of the observers gave the commendation while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ilesa West and East Local Governments.
They said the early arrival of the officials would be crucial to a successful outcome of the poll.
Terfa Hemen, an observer from the Centre for Democracy Development, said he had monitored six polling units in Ilesa West and Ilesa East, adding that INEC officials arrived before 8am.
He said the timely arrival of INEC officials for the accreditation exercise was indicative of an election that would be credible and fair.
Cynthia Mbamalu, an observer from Youths Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Development, said the conduct of INEC was commendable compared to previous elections.
Mbamalu said the INEC officials arrived at the polling units on time and accreditation started at 8am in most of the polling units in Ilesa West and Ilesa East.
An agent of the Peoples Democratic Party, Oluwaseun Oni, also commended INEC for the timely accreditation of voters.
Oni also described the turn out of voters for the accreditation exercise as impressive.
An agent of the All Progressives Congress, Victoria Olaide, said INEC officials arrived before 8am for the accreditation exercise.
Olaide, who said the timely accreditation of voters was commendable, expressed optimism that the election would be free and fair.
According to a stalwart of the Progressives Peoples Alliance, Adekunle Busuyi, the proper provision and distribution of election materials would ensure a hitch-free exercise.
Florence Olatunji, a 68-year-old woman, who was accredited at Unit 1, Ward 8, Ifofin, said she came out for accreditation as early as 6:45am.
Olatunji, however, urged INEC to also ensure that voting commenced at the appropriate time.
Another voter, Olayiwola Kunle, who spoke to NAN at Unit 5, Ward 3, Isinki, also commended INEC for its timely commencement of the accreditation exercise.
NAN reports that accreditation went on smoothly in most of the polling units in the town.
There were also long queues of voters waiting to be accredited in most of the polling units visited while there was heavy security presence.
Some party agents in Ile-Ife urged INEC to rectify some discrepancies in the exercise.
Tinuke Makinde, who was at Ward 1, Unit 3 in Moore, Ile-Ife, told NAN that she was satisfied with the impressive turnout of voters.
Makinde, who is of the Labour Party, said some prospective voters could not find their names on INEC registers.
Waheed Fatunmise of the APC also urged INEC to resolve the outstanding issues.
The Assistant Electoral Officer in Ife Central Local Government, Oyedele Jelilat, said all the issues raised would be addressed.
The candidate of the PDP for the election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, was accredited at Moore Ward at 11:27am.
Omisore told newsmen that the process put in place was largely successful.
He said he was 80 per cent satisfied.
He said his party would emerge victorious in the election.
He also commended the orderliness of the voters.
The candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Olusegun Akinwusi, got accredited at 9:28am at Holy Saviour Primary School at Unit 4, Ward 9 at Oke Otubu Modakeke, Ife East.
Akinwusi expressed satisfaction with the turnout of voters and the conduct of electoral officers.
At Ward 1, Moore in Ile-Ife, some voters had difficulty finding their names on the register and INEC officials were helping them in resolving the problem.
At Ife central, accreditation was concluded by 9.40am.
At units 1 to 12 in ward 6 at Akarabata Line 1, accreditation was almost concluded at 9.37am.
NAN reports that security agents, mainly policemen and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel, maintained orderliness, while accreditation began at units 19 and 20 in Ward 4, located at Old Governor’s Office area of Osogbo.
Accreditation went on smoothly as many of the voters did not have difficulties locating their names on the voters register.
The Presiding Officer for the ward, Festus Okoli, said: “The accreditation has been orderly and voters are cooperating with us.
“With the turnout of voters, we are optimistic that we will accredit them all by 12 noon.”
Voters turned out in large numbers in various wards as early as 6am ahead of the official time of 8am for accreditation in Saturday’s governorship election.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that although there was light rainfall in the early hours of Saturday, the turnout was impressive.
Alhaji Bamidele Suleiman, a party ward collation agent, said more than 100 voters had arrived in Unit 19 Ward 5 in Osogbo Local Government Area as early as 6.30am.
In Ward 001, Ataoja E, many voters said they were in the ward early to do accreditation in time to cast votes as quick as possible.
Titilayo Amoo, one of the voters at Unit 16, Osogbo Local Government, said she led some other women to the unit early enough to participate in the election.
Jolayemi Gabriel, 76, said he was impressed that elder citizens such as himself were at the polling unit early enough.
However, Sulieman alleged that the opposition party APC was providing canopies for voters, saying that it was not in line with INEC guidelines.
Reacting to the allegation, Alhaji Bashiru Ajebade, the leader of Ward five Oke-Arungbo community in Osogbo Local Government Area, said the canopies were provided by members of the community.
Ajebade said they were to be used in the event of rainfall and to provide shade for the elderly voters.
Kayode Odewale from the same ward, however, expressed satisfaction with the turnout of INEC and security officials.
Odewale commended voters for coming out on time to vote.
NAN reports that among the voters, who came out early for accreditation, were elderly women and men.
At Ward four, polling units 19 and 20 on Old Governor’s Office, Osogbo, accreditation did not start on time in spite of a massive turn-out of voters.
The Presiding Officer, who wished to be identified simply as Oluwasheyin, apologised to voters for the “slight delay”, adding that they faced some little challenges in setting up some structures, coupled with the rain shower.
Oluwasheyin appealed to voters to be orderly and remain within the vicinity of the centre to enable them to vote immediately after accreditation at 12.30pm.
At Ward 20 of the centre, election materials arrived at about 7.20am where a Presiding Officer, Festus Okoli, said they were well secured.
Some of the voters whose names were in the voters’ register, said they were not listed alphabetically as they expected.
The News Agency of Nigeria correspondents monitoring the exercise in Ilesa West and East local government, report that many voters had queued as early as 6.30am waiting to be accredited.
At Unit 10, ward five, at African Church Grammar School, Ilesha West, anxious voters were already in the queue waiting to be accredited.
Adebimpe Oluwole, a 65-year old woman, told NAN that she arrived at the polling unit at about 6:30am waiting for accreditation.
At Ilesa East, units 1 and 2, at Oke Obanla, large numbers of voters were seen checking their names on the register.
There was heavy presence of security operatives in each of the polling units.
At the Unit seven, ward 1, at Igbogi Junction, Orinkiran, the exercise which started at 8am also witnessed a huge turnout of electorate for registration, with many of them checking their names on the register.
Abifoluwa Olorode, an INEC ad hoc worker, said that she arrived at the unit around 7:05am.
Olorode said the turnout of the electorate was impressive.
Unit one, Ward eight, Ifofin, Ilesha East which is the polling unit of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the All Progressives Congress candidate for the election, witnessed a huge turnout of voters.
Sarafat Aregbesola, the mother of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, was the first voter to be accredited.
She said she was impressed with the turnout of the voters for the accreditation.
She expressed the belief that her son, Aregbesola, would be re-elected.
Voters’ accreditation started at 8am in most of the polling units at Ilesha West and East local government areas.
At Ward 1 in Ilode near Ife, accreditation started at 8am, with appreciable turnout of voters.
Funke Akanni and Alhaji Hassan Arogundade, 85, said they came out as early as 8am and everything was peaceful.
The PDP National Secretary, Wale Oladipo, commended INEC for adequate preparation and arrangement, saying there was enough security.
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