PDP commences primary under tight security in Ekiti

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State on Saturday deployed massive security to the areas where the party was to conduct primary election to pick candidates for the House of Representatives election next year.

Also election materials for the exercise were just being dispatched to the voting centres as at 5.30pm when journalists visited the state secretariat of the party in Ado Ekiti.

When journalists visited the secretariat, armed policemen were seen escorting the materials to the voting centres.

Speaking with journalists, the state Chairman of the party, Idowu Faleye, blamed the late commencement of the exercise on the late arrival of materials for the exercise.

Faleye said the materials arrived with the five-man national electoral committee led by Bala Suleiman.

But Faleye allayed fears that the late commencement of the exercise would dent its outcome.

He said: “We have assured the aspirants of fairness.

“All the returning  officers are  just arriving.

“The late arrival of materials was due to late arrival of the body sent by the national headquarters to monitor the election.”

Faleye explained that the high presence of security is to ensure adequate security at the voting centres because the exercise is being conducted late.

“We have assured all the aspirants of fairness and that nobody will be imposed,” he said.

Faleye confirmed that all the aspirants had written an undertaking to abide by the result of the primary and to work with whoever emerges the party’s candidates.

He said the party had taken all precautionary measures to guide against any legal litigation.

The headquarters of the six Federal Constituencies located in Ido, Ikole, Aramoko, Ado, Omuo and Ikere Ekiti were heavily policed.

Scores of riot policemen were deployed.

Suleiman ascribed late commencement to the far distance they had to cover.

Suleiman said: “We just collected the materials from our national secretariat today and we had to travel a far distance to get to Ekiti because we came by road.

“We are not happy subjecting our aspirants and delegates to stress, but I want to assure them that they will be given level playing ground.

“None of them will be schemed out of contention.”