The Ekiti State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is fully ready for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State and that it has already taken delivery of some of the electoral materials meant for the polls that day.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Prof Abdulganiyu Olayinka Raji, who stated this at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the State Police Command headquarters, said the commission has started distributing non-sensitive materials to the 16 local government areas of the state.
All heads of security agencies in the state and candidates of all political parties were present at the meeting.
Raji who also assured that INEC would be fair and transparent to all political parties said the votes of the electorate will count in the election. He however, solicited the support and cooperation of all stakeholders in the election, for a peaceful and credible election.
“We are satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and the relationship with the political parties was cordial,’’ he said. ‘‘They have all agreed to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the election and we are counting on their words. We on our part, promise to be guided by our core values, to be transparent and be fair to all. We are fully prepared for the election. All non-sensitive materials have all been distributed to all the local government areas of the state and the sensitive materials will only come a day before election.
“I have gone to the local government areas in the state, and we have asked for their cooperation to ensure that peace reigns during the election. We have equally given them our words to ensure that the people’s vote count. With the structure we have put in place, the votes must count,’’ he assured all present.
Addressing newsmen after the closed door meeting, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr Kayode Fayemi, said security agencies have assured them of adequate security of lives and property.
Fayemi who was represented by the director of mobilisation of his campaign council, Femi Bamisile, lamented the recent killings in the state, noting that the candidates have all agreed with the security agencies on ways to ensure peaceful poll in the state.
“We had an interactive session with the security agencies and we all agreed to what the security apparatus told us. All the political parties told the security agencies what our common problem is and after our discussion, we assured them that we are going to have a hitch free election in the state without intimidation from anybody.”
Also speaking, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Prof Kolapo Olusola, said the interactive session availed candidates the opportunity of charting and agreeing on how to prevent violence in the course of the campaigns and on the day of election.
He charged the people of the state to be courageous enough to come out on the day of election to exercise their civic rights. He added that federal might would not work in the state.
