Browsing: Ekiti poll

Placed side by side with his first opinion article on Ekiti State election published by the newspaper a week earlier, one cannot but wonder what has changed (within the space of a week) in Governor Fayemi’s personality, politics and record of achievements in office as well as the inter play of forces that marred the fairness of the election and, of course, its highly suspicious outcome? In taking it further, one may also ask what has changed in Ayobolu’s mindset, sense of value, judgement and decency

The Governor, who was responding to a question from a State House Correspondent at Lagos House, Marina who wanted to know if the All Progressives Congress was willing to learn lessons from the Ekiti election as being advanced by some commentators, said the supposed lessons from there raise frightening and disturbing dimensions to conduct of politics and questions on human behaviour

Speaking on the conduct and outcome of the election, the Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, told reporters that the election was highly militarized and commercialized and cannot be said to be free and fair and its outcome credible, while the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission, Senator Andy Uba, said the election was transparently and successfully conducted by INEC

During, the June 21st governorship election, findings from observers deployed across the 16 local government areas (LGAs) of the state showed a marked improvement by INEC in management of the electoral processes and the outcomes of the poll, this represented a significant shift away from the irregularities and logistical failings that have consistently characterised previous elections

Hawkins, who was accompanied by Michael Harvey, USAID Director for Nigeria; Rolf Olson of the Political/Economic Section of the US Consulate in Lagos; as well as Katrina Drayton, the Political Officer of the United States of America Consulate in Nigeria, paid tributes to Bamidele, commending his efforts towards uplifting democratic values in Nigeria and Ekiti State in particular