The Nation Newspaper

Category: Ekiti 2018

  • Voting ends in Eleka’s unit

    Voting ended in Unit 007, Ward 2, Okekuru, Ikere-Ekiti at 4pm.

    It’s the unit where the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Prof Kolapo Olusola Eleka voted.

    His unit had one of the longest queues in Ikere-Ekiti, with 1,103 registered voters.

    Read Also:Ekiti election a national embarrassment – Fayose

    Voting was delayed earlier as Eleka waited for two hours to hours to be verified.

    Sorting of ballot papers has begun, with result to be announced soon.

    Eleka has already won in most of the units in Ikere-Ekiti.

  • Ekiti election a national embarrassment – Fayose

    Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, on Saturday described the state governorship election as national embarrassment.

    Addressing journalists shortly after voting in his ward 001, St. David’s Primary School, Maternity Area, Afao, he said the election was compromised by security agents.

    Fayose, who voted at 1:30 p.m., said he was responding to treatment and would return home after casting his vote.

    He said Ekiti people are contending with security agencies, adding that the deployment of 30,000 military and paramilitary officers to the state was to intimidate the voters.

    He said: “I want to say that the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) has good intention. But the process has been hijacked by security agencies. This is a national disgrace and there is danger ahead.

    “Remember we raised all these issues, as I speak ballot boxes are being snatched by thugs in the very eyes of security personnel. What they call ‘see and buy money politics’ is going on right now.

    “The police and civil defence corps are aiding the process. I must repeat this is a national disaster because the election is marred by violence.”

    Fayose said members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were arrested by security personnel.

    “In almost all the local government councils in the state, PDP chieftains are being arrested. They have arrested House of Representatives members. As I address you right now, my chief of staff was arrested and detained an hour ago.

    “We fight corruption everywhere, but when wrong people are in authority, the effort will not yield the desired result. It is the wrong thing that will happen to nation. The Bible says when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in authority this is what you get.

    “If this is the sample for 2019, I must say it is a lost ground. I want to say very specifically that this is a lost ground for the Nigerian electorate. They have taken over the election from INEC,”  the governor stated.

     

     

  • Ekiti 2018: Fayemi wins polling unit

    Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2018 Ekiti Governorship Election has been declared the winner in his polling unit of Isan Ward 11 Unit 9.

    Fayemi polled 186 votes, as against 2 which Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka of PDP received.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: Fayemi commends electorate for turnout, conduct

    The results, as released by the polling agents, are as follow:

    APC- 186

    PDP – 2

    APA – 1

    Unused papers – 145

    Total registered voters – 345

     

  • Election in Ekiti is free, fair and huge success – REC

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner of Ekiti State Prof. Abdul Ganiy Raji has said that the gubernatorial election in Ekiti State is free, fair and a huge success.

    Raji who disclosed this shortly after briefing collation officers who are drawn from various universities before going to the field said from the report he gathered from the field the totality of the election was a huge success.

    Read Also:Vote counting begins in Ikere-Ekiti

    However he said that there are two areas that the ballot papers was scattered on the ground due to pocket of crisis.” I got the report that the ballot papers were scattered on the ground in Gbonyin local government area of the state. Aside this everything went on smoothly.”

    The INEC commissioner who monitored the election in his office said that eight commissioners were dispatched to various places to monitor the election and give him the on the spot report of what happened on the field.

    According to him, all the materials arrived at its destination in good time and voting started early in most of the voting centres throughout the state.

    He explained that the use of it was used to monitor the dispatching of sensitive materials to all the local government without any problem.

  • Why Eleka was allowed to vote, by INEC chief

    Everyone with a permanent voter card (PVC) would be allowed to vote even if the card reader malfunctions or fails verify the PVC, according to Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) National Commissioner Prof Anthonia Simbine.

    She said such an incident would be recorded in the register and the person would then be allowed to vote although there is no incidence form being used.

    Prof Simbine addressed newsmen in Unit 007, Ward 2, Okekuru, Ikere-Ekiti, where the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Prof Kolapo Olusola Eleka voted despite his PVC not being verified by the card reader.

    Read Also:Ekiti 2018: Fayemi commends electorate for turnout, conduct

    The INEC chief said there was no cause for alarm, as every registered voter would exercise their franchise as Eleka did.

    “Where there are issues with the smart card reader, our ICT support will step in. The card has a chip which works with the smart card reader.

    “If per chance, the chip has a problem, it may not be able to read. I’m not saying that is what happened (in the case of Prof Eleka).

    “We’re not using the incident form. The incident will be reported on the manual register. It will be written down that it (the PVC) was not captured. But such a person is going to vote,” she said.

    Simbine said those still on queue after 2pm will be allowed to vote before counting begins.

    Voting has ended in some units, with counting soon to begin.

  • My victory is divinely ordained – Eleka

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka, said on Saturday he was sure of victory because it was divinely ordained.

    Asked for his prediction after casting his vote, he said: “I am a man who lives by faith. Right from the beginning I’ve always known that it’s a journey that is ordained by God.

    “And any journey that is ordained by God definitely will be a success. By His grace, God will see me through; I’m going to coast to victory.”

    There was a chorus of “amen” by his supporters and those who accompanied him to the polling booth.

     

  • Ekiti 2018: Fayemi commends electorate for turnout, conduct

    The All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has commended the electorate in Ekiti for their impressive turnout and conduct in Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

    Fayemi made the commendation after casting his ballot in his Unit 009, Ogilolo Ward 11, Isan-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area, at about 10.28 a.m.

    But, his wife, Bisi, who accompanied him to the polling station, could not vote as the Card Reader could not accredit her.

    Although the electoral officials found her name on the voter register, the card reader did not recognise her voter card.

    Assessing the electoral process, however, Fayemi said, “This is the day the Lord has made and we are glad in it. I have just voted in my Unit.

    “The voting process is relatively smooth; my card was recognized. I was accredited and I went to cast my ballot.

    “You can see the turn out in my community, it is huge. This is not a big community, but almost everyone is out to cast his vote.

    “They ensure that they conduct themselves in a proper manner and not being disenfranchised.”

    He, however, said that reports he got from his representatives revealed that though the exercise was peaceful in most places, there were also reports of skirmishes in some places, and Card Reader issues.

    “I have had reports across the state from my agents, from our leaders; we have skirmishes, Card Reader issues, but also there has been relative calm in most places.

    “It is too early to judge now; it is too early to give a final and full verdict on how the process on the ground out there in state is.

    “I will plead with you, the media, to allow me some time to get more reports from the field before I give you a definitive statement about the process,” he added.

    The Nation reports that large number of voters queued up to cast their ballots at the polling units in the ward.

    The INEC voting list pasted in Unit 009 bore 345 names of eligible voters, including Fayemi and his wife

  • PDP candidate accuses APC of vote buying

    People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State Prof Kolapo Olusola Eleka has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders of buying votes in his local government.

    He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and security agents were complicit as, according to him, they did nothing to stop the act.

    He said Ekiti people would still vote for him despite the money they collect, as they were not hungry and therefore cannot be bought with “peanuts”.

    Eleka said: “It is left for the security agencies and INEC to do the needful. Let me be specific. The APC leaders are all round the various wards distributing money.

    “They’re at Ogbonjana Ward, at Igelearokun Ward. At the Afin Palace, a former chairman of the local government under APC government was seen distributing money.

    “Security agencies were just looking at them at those places, doing nothing. Even in Ikere here. And it’s quite unfortunate.”

    On his assessment of the security situation, he said: “I can’t really comment on that because it’s too early to do so.”

    On whether he has confidence in the electoral umpire, Olusola said: “INEC should do the needful. We have received reports of APC members who have been distributing money right in the presence of INEC officials and in the presence of security agencies.

    “All this have been reported but unfortunately the security agencies turned a blind eye. It’s quite unfortunate that they are not doing the right thing.

    “So, I want to advise that appropriate agencies should please rise up and play by the rules.”

    Read Also: I’m coasting to victory – PDP candidate

    Eleka said he had confidence in INEC despite the allegations of vote buying.

    “The issue of vote buying should be addressed by INEC. If the security agencies are pretending as if they don’t see what is happening, it is quite unfortunate. Because right in their presence, APC stalwarts were seen distributing money.

    “But they should remember that Ekiti people are not hungry. They are not poor. They are not people that can be easily deceived by mere peanuts that will be given to them during election time.

    “Ekiti people are ready to vote for the man of their choice and that is Kola Olusola-Eleka.”

    After the card reader failed to verify his PVC for a second time, Eleka had expressed fears that he might be unable to vote.

    “I have confidence in the electoral process, but then I have my fears. A situation where I as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP cannot cast my vote because the card reader did not recognise my PVC is worrisome.

    “They asked me whether the card was defaced. Everybody can see that this card is straight and is not bent and is not defaced (he displayed his card). Whatever might have happened, I don’t understand.

    “I want to believe that the REC should be able to come up with a solution to this. I used it to vote in 2014 when I registered for the first time.

    “So far so good. The process has been going on smoothly in my unit, but not so in some other units.”

    Eleka eventually voted at 11.10am. He arrived at his unit by 9.10 am.

     

  • Ekiti election a litmus test – Okei-Odumakin

    The President of Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, said on Saturday the Ekiti State governorship election would be a litmus test for the country.

    Addressing journalists in Afao, she urged politicians to respect wishes of the electorates.

    She said the Ekiti governorship election was conducted under peaceful ambience, adding that the skirmishes recorded in few places were not enough to discredit the exercise.

    Okei-Odumakin, who is a member of election observers’ group in the state, said there was tension in the build up to the election, stressing that the outcome so far belittled the apprehension.

    The right activist expressed optimism that Ekiti people would not deviate from the quest of making the election a success.

    She said: “So far, the process has been impressive and commendable. The process will help to restore credibility to the election. Initially, we were worried about the conduct of the election, but as it is the process is commendable.

    “The voters conducted themselves in orderly manner. I must say most of the people have imbibed the spirit of June 12 and one can see the ambience of peace in most of the polling booths.”

    Okei-Odumakin said areas where problems occurred could be improved upon ahead of future elections.

    “We have reports of technical issues which is also not enough to discredit the polls outcome. There was the case of a card reader not capturing the fingerprint of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, the case of the wife of the All Progress Congress (APC) candidate, Bisi Fayemi and the Accord Party candidate.

    “Ekiti is going to be the litmus test for coming elections. Don’t forget we have the Osun State election close by and the 2019 election. The outcome of the election will go a long way to defining the image of the country.”

     

     

  • I’m coasting to victory – PDP candidate

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ekiti, Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka, on Saturday expressed confidence that he would win the election.

    He cast his vote in Unit 007, Ward 2, Okekuru, Ikere-Ekiti at 11:10 a.m.

    The card reader twice failed to verify his Permanent Voter Card (PVC), but he was eventually allowed to vote after he was manually verified.

    Eleka said: “After I spoke with the INEC headquarters, they found a way out of it. So I’ve been able to cast my vote after being accredited.

    “I’m satisfied, and I want to appreciate INEC for being prompt. I also want to encourage them to find a way out in case it happens to any other person. It doesn’t have to be to the VIPs only.

    “Nevertheless I appreciate their prompt response to this incident.”

    Asked on his expectations, the PDP candidate added: “I’ve said it before, Kolapo Olusola is going to be declared governor-elect by the grace of God.”

    Eleka arrived at his unit at 9:10 a.m. But the card reader failed to verify his PVC. He stood and waited for several minutes without success.

    He stepped out and returned a second time, still the card reader failed to verify him.

    The PDP flagbearer said he was not given assurances that another card reader would be brought.

    He said his wife’s PVC was also not verified by the machine.

    He said: “I’ve just gone in to be accredited and then to cast my vote. But unfortunately after trying for several minutes, I was told that the card reader could not recognise my PVC. I don’t know why.

    “And I’m being told that I am the first person to experience such since they started. I registered in 2014, the same day with my wife. I used it in 2014 to vote.”

    On whether the experience affected his confidence in the electoral process, he added: “I can’t really explain what is happening at the moment.

    “I’m going to wait and find out whether it is only my card that will not be recognised by the card reader and that will be quite interesting.

    “As the gubernatorial candidate of PDP, I am expected to cast my vote, at least to vote for myself. But that does not mean that I have lost confidence in the process.

    “I still believe strongly that by the grace of God I will come out victorious, because I have the people with me.”