All is finally set for the Ekiti state gubernatorial election scheduled for today, June 18, 2022. The election is set to hold hold across the 2,445 polling units in the 16 local government areas of the state.
The governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji; Bisi Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) are going to battle for the majority of the 749,065 voters in the state.
While Ekiti state has a total of 988,923 registered voters in the state, only about 749,065 out of the registered voters had collected their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) as at Monday.
Also, a total of 16 political parties are contesting in the Ekiti governorship election today.
They are; APC, PDP, SDP, Accord Party; African Action Congress; African Democratic Congress; Action Democratic Party; All Progressives Grand Alliance; Allied Peoples Movement; Action Peoples Party; Labour Party; New Nigeria People’s Party, National Rescue Movement; Peoples Redemption Party; Young Progressives Party and Zenith Labour Party.
As voters go to their respective polling units, the Nigeria Police Force(NPF) has issued a stern warning to against the disruption of voting.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Babatunde Johnson Kokumo, in charge of the Ekiti election, while speaking on Friday, the eve of the election, vowed to deal with any electoral offenders during the conduct of the election.
He stated this when he visited the Ekiti Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Adeniran Rahmon.
Kokumo said the Force has imposed restriction of movement in and out of the state from the hours of 11:59am on Friday, adding that a robust security arrangement has been put in place to ensure a transparent poll in the state.
The Force have also embarked on an aerial patrol of Ado Ekiti, the state capital as part of its confidence building measures.
Alongside sister agencies, security forces have embarked on a show of force in the capital and other major towns in the state.
He appealed to Ekiti residents to cooperate with security agencies in its efforts to prevent the incursion of criminal elements into the state.
In his words, “the security arrangement was being carried out in collaboration with sister security agencies.
“We are here to interface and familiarise with your office. We want to let you know that healthy and robust security arrangements have been put in place.This exercise is not going to be a permanent arrangement. We urged the public to bear with us.
“We asked them to bear with our men who are checking for arms and ammunition. We are ready for the assignment. Other security agencies are ready for the assignment. We are leaving no stone unturned to make sure there is adequate security for INEC and the citizens of Ekiti State.
“Our men should look out for electoral offenders. Any infraction of the electoral act will be frowned upon. Offenders will be arrested and followed up with prosecution. We will work with you to ensure a credible Ekiti gubernatorial election.”
However, a non-governmental organisation, the Kimpact Development Initiative, has raised alarm that there are indications that there will be massive vote-buying in the election.
The Executive Director of Kimpact, Bukola Idowu, called on the security agencies to be up to task to curb the emeging menace.
Idowu, who spoke in Ado Ekiti, said the organisation’s findings also indicated that there would be violence in some parts of the state during the election, while urging the security agencies to be professional.
According to him, the findings of the organisation revealed that kidnappings and fake news might occur in Ekiti North and Ekiti South Senatorial Districts during the election.
“KDI is predicting a ridiculous widespread of vote-buying during the Saturday election particularly in Ekiti Central Senatorial District. INEC and security agents should be up and doing during the election,” he alarmed.
