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Tag: Ekiti STATE

  • Ekiti 2018: Observer group condemns use of soldiers for elections

    A civil society organization, CLEEN Foundation has advocated against deployment of soldiers for security purposes at future elections.

    Reviewing the conduct of Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, the group described deployment of the military for election duties as “contentious” and should be reconsidered.

    Another civil society organization, the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD) urged parties and candidates aggrieved with the result of the election to seek redress at the tribunal and not to resort to violence.

    Addressing a news conference in Ado-Ekiti, CLEEN Foundation Assistant Programmes Manager, Mr. Wole Ojewale, described election as a civil matter which should not involve deployment of soldiers.

    He explained that there is need to pay more attention to the welfare needs of security agents so as to get them fully motivated and committed to the tasks of electoral security.

    Police authorities, he added, should learn from the success of the Ekiti experience and always pay their officers ahead of election days.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: GPN candidate congratulates Fayemi

    Ojewale said part of the recommendations of the group was that all security agents deployed for election duties should be made to sign an oath of allegiance to Police Service Commission Guidelines for the Conduct of Police Officers on Electoral Duty.

    He explained that the violation of the oath, if the recommendation is adopted, should attract severe penalty.

    NIGAWD, in a statement on Monday by its Executive Director, Abimbola Aladejare, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the youth, security agencies and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the day of election.

    Aladejare said: “Election Day proceedings were very peaceful. The challenges observed included a few cases of ballot box snatching and vote buying.

    The youth, security operatives and INEC conducted themselves very well. We commend Ekiti youth for rejecting violence in a resounding manner and coming out to vote for the candidates of their choice.”

  • Ekiti: Don’t disappoint the people, IPAC tells Fayemi

    The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Monday congratulated Dr Kayode Fayemi on his victory in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

    The Chairman of IPAC in the state, Mr Ilesanmi Omolayo, congratulated Fayemi while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Ado-Ekiti.

    He said the victory of Fayemi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over his closest rival, Prof. Olushola Eleka of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), reflected the will of the people.

    Read Also:How Ekiti governorship election was won and lost

    Omolayo said that with Fayemi’s election, the people had put their trust in him to better their lots, urging the governor-elect to work to meet their expectations and not disappoint them.

    “We congratulate Dr Fayemi on his election as the new governor of our dear state and wish him all the best.

    “We believe the outcome of the election reflects the will of the people. The people actually spoke.

    “However, we urge Fayemi to see his victory as a call to service to meet the expectations of Ekiti people.

    “We advise him not to betray the trust reposed in him and disappoint them, but to work for the collective interest of everyone in the state”, he said.

    The IPAC chairman also lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he called the credible conduct of the election.

    He said IPAC was pleased with the conduct by INEC and efforts of security agents and other stakeholders to make the election a success.

    Omolayo dismissed complaints in some quarters that the election result was manipulated, describing such as baseless.

    “You see when some people’s expectations in elections are not realised; they tend to say all sorts of things.

    “For the records, the results of the last Saturday election in Ekiti were not manipulated. I can say this, because IPAC monitored the whole process.

    “in fact, I moved from one local government to another on the election day, and I can tell that the whole process was transparent.

    “At the final collation centre, I, as IPAC chairman, was the one that opened all the ballot boxes and everything was sorted out and counted in the presence of everybody.

    “I urge everyone to put politics aside and accept the fact that the election was okay. We should all join hands with the governor-elect to move Ekiti forward,” he said.

  • Ekiti: PDP is irreparably broken, dismantled – Presidency 

    *Ekiti: Fayose’s political career sealed – Presidency 

    *Says Ekiti people have rejected stomach infrastructure

    *Ekiti: Credit goes to Tinubu – Presidency

    With the victory of the Ekiti State Gov-Elect, Kayode Fayemi, in the governorship election in the state at the weekend, the Presidency on Sunday said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is irreparably broken and dismantled with the outcome.

    In an article entitled ‘Fayose: In The End, A High-Powered Nothing’, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that Fayose’s political career is now sealed for good with the loss by his party.

    According to him, much credit for the victory of Fayemi goes to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

    He said “The people of the politically significant State of Ekiti have spoken against their Governor, outgoing governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who told them that the governorship election they just had was a referendum on President Muhammadu Buhari. He said candidates Kayode Fayemi and Olusola Eleka were pawns and that he and President Buhari were the actual contestants.

    “In what observers said was the most intense, and a most angry campaign, the people gave their verdict: Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the one-time governor, declared persona-non-grata is now persona-grata again. President Buhari has won this referendum. The people of the State have sent a clear message. The politics of brinksmanship, assaults, insults, abuses and Robin Hoodism disguised as stomach infrastructure has been rejected in favour of politics of inclusion, development, responsibility and good governance.

    “President Buhari’s war against corruption and insecurity; the message of agric revolution and infrastructure development and fidelity in resource allocation and management have struck a chord with Ekiti voters, who had been lied to and deceived by Governor Fayose. While the opposition continued to rant at him, President Buhari’s uprightness, coupled with incorruptibility and personal integrity, unmatched by any politician in the country has again stood the test of time.

    “The All Progressives Congress (APC) win in Ekiti means that the Party has control over 25 out of the 36 states of the Federation. The party thus becomes the only one in power in the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone.

    “Besides reinforcing the APC’s position as the only standing pole in the political landscape, it is a credit to the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, against whom all manner of ethnic and religious opposition is being mounted by former President Obasanjo and some of the Asiwaju’s sworn enemies in the sub-region.

    “With this, the political landscape of the South-West has been transformed. APC’s regional strength has been strengthened and the Asiwaju will be respected even better. Without losing patience and decorum, the Asiwaju has proved that rivals must reconcile and come to terms or lose everything.

    “This win is equally a huge boost to the APC and its new leadership under Chairman Adams Oshiomole, who got their first baptism of fire in Ekiti. It is, importantly, a big boost to the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari.” he said

    Speaking on PDP, he said “For the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which came second in the election in a state that they held sway, it is a loss politically and psychologically. The result of the election has proved that PDP is irreparably broken and dismantled. They have nothing to offer to the country and its people. The message from Ekiti is that no state in Nigeria will vote PDP. Never again.

    Read also:  Blackmailing observer groups won’t save Fayose from defeat -Fayemi

    “As for Mr. Fayose and his morbid brand of politics, it is now his time to reconcile himself to the imminent political extinction he faces, his political career sealed for good. Newspapers have mistaken him for a gadfly who creates discomfort for the government at the centre to make it better, but Fayose is a street-type thug. He never fits the role of a gadfly because he thrives on bitter enmity. Opposition does not mean a negative view of everything. Neither does it translate into a licence to abuse your superiors.

    “The winner of the election, Governor Fayemi’s trajectory from a persona-non-grata to a persona-grata again has given a wave of cheer to APC members all over the country. It has given a fresh hope that fake news, lies and propaganda run only short distances, because they have short legs.

    “An old proverb says you can’t beat something with nothing. After all the noise, theatricals and drama, Fayose’s fall came with a thud, not a bang: a high-powered nothing.” he stated

  • Edo APC youths deny being in Ekiti for election

    Youths of the All Progressive Congress in Edo State have denied allegations that they were mobilized to Ekiti State to help rig the governorship election won by Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    Members of the Peoples Democratic Party had alleged that five buses were used to convey those they termed APC thugs to Ekiti State during the election.

    State Youth Leader of the party, Mr. Valentine Asuen, who spoke to newsmen in Bénin City said nobody mobilized APC youths to Ekiti.

    Asuen said the Edo APC were in solidarity with Ekiti APC through prayers and not to be physically present.

    He said it was Ekiti people that delivered victory for Dr. Fayemi.

    According to him, “Our youths are prepared for the 2019 general elections. No APC youths in Edo went to observe the election in Ekiti. What happened is that people in Ekiti delivered Fayemi. We in Edo are prepared for election in Edo and we are winning other South South states.

    Read also: Obasanjo counsels Secondus, PDP on how to defeat Buhari, APC in 2019

    Security forces are not members of the APC. The opposition also had security personnel protecting them. We did not watch any security personnel snatching ballot papers. The security men were there to do their job and maintain law.

    “Ekiti was significant for us as it has shown that 2019 is bright for the APC. It has shown that we are going to win the election. A lot of people that were looking at Ekiti to determine their fate or political future has seen that the APC is still very strong.

    “The rAPC is not a party. Other greedy and political charlatans hijacked genuine demands of the rAPC to bring down our party. They can now see clearly that we are strong. Ekiti has shown them that they cannot defect again. Some of them that were thinking of defection will not show the intention again.”

  • Outcome of Ekiti poll will determine 2019 election, says PDP

    National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Prince Uche Secondus Saturday said that the result of the governorship election in Ekiti state would determine the 2019 general elections in the country.

    Secondus said this in Ilorin, Kwara state in an interaction with reporters during a condolence visit to former nPDP National Leader, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, who lost his mother during the week in Ilorin, Kwara state.

    He berated the federal government over its inability to share the monthly federal allocation for June 2018 after three meetings with state and local governments in the country.

    Read Also:Ekiti 2018: PDP deplores alleged attack on members, ballot snatching

    The PDP chairman described Baraje as a brother and friend as well as former chairman of the PDP.

    He said that  the Ekiti election will the beginning of the general elections coming up next year and as such that anything short of a credible poll would spell doom for the nation.

    Said he: “I’m here on condolence visit to my former chairman of the PDP and by the grace of God our friend and our brother.

    “We expect the Ekiti election to be credible, we believe anything short of that will cause crisis and you know Ekiti election is the beginning of all elections that will come in 2019. If Ekiti election is not properly conducted then there will be no election in 2019”

    Asked about alleged overtures from the camp of the nPDP, to rejoin the PDP, Secondus said everyone, including the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki,is welcome to the party and that in any case they are already working together under the grand alliance.

    “Everyone is welcome, it is a large house and you know above all we have a larger gathering; the grand alliance and so we are working together,” he said.

    Asked about the failure to share the federal allocation after three meetings, Secondus said. “You can see how they are running the economy”, to which Baraje added:  “it is a sign of failure” before they both went to sit with the Islamic cleric preaching at the venue.

  • 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.

  • Ekiti 2018: Expected voters storm Government House to collect N4000

    In anticipation to vote for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Prof. Kolapo Olusola in Saturday’s election, expected voters trooped  to  Government House in Okesa area of the State to collect N4000  with the presentation of their  voters card.

    The electorates who in their thousands stormed the seat of power through the Deputy governors office and linked up with the government house were discussing aloud about the election as they marched to the hilly office of the governor.

    The Nation gathered that the government house which was crowded by the electorate are highly organized as they were all divided according to the ward that individual belong.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: INEC is ready to conduct credible election – REC

    One of the electorate who simply identified himself as Tijani, a student of Ekiti State University said he has to wait and collect his own share of the national cake since it is free.

    It was a peaceful environment as it was highly organized and some of the ward representative are seated with the comprehensive voters register in their hands to cross check the name of the would be collector.

    Women and Okada drivers packed their machines in front of the deputy governor’s office and passed through a small gate that linked up the office to the governor office to collect their dole.

     

  • Ekiti 2018: Voters receive cash, gifts from ‘politicians’

    Several voters were given money Friday by politicians to vote for particular candidates in Saturday’s election.

    Those who spoke to our correspondents on condition of anonymity said they got N4, 000 each.

    Our correspondents, who were at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) office where newsmen were being accredited, noticed that people were steadily streaming in and out of the Old Governor’s office in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.

    Those seen going in and out of the premises were mostly youths as well as middle-aged men and women.

    Read Also:Ekiti 2018: INEC monitors movement of election materials to local govt

    While some ran into the premises apparently to get there before the sharing ended, others walked briskly towards an inner building.

    A woman was overheard raining curses on some people she claimed collected money twice.

    She wondered why some would collect twice while others were yet to collect once.

    She said: “A vehicle will kill all of those that collected twice!”

    Ekiti 2018: Voters receive cash, gifts from ‘politicians’
    The parks of Fero Mobile F110 Phone that was distributed at the old Governor’s office, Oke Bareke, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State

    One of our correspondents approached her and said: “Take it easy madam. You’re a mother. You shouldn’t curse others that way.”

    She said: “The cheating is too much. Some people have not collected, while some have collected twice. It’s not fair.”

    When our correspondent sought to know who was sharing the money, she said: “I’m not a radio. Leave me, I am annoyed.” Then she walked away.

    Several people were seen trying to gain access to the gated inner building within the premises.

    Those coming out of the building told those outside that they must be sure of the wards they were registered to vote.

    Someone was overheard saying that having a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) was required to receive the cash.

    Some of the voters were seen grumbling that they could not locate their names on the list.

    Those whose names were not in the list were asked to go to different locations where money for their wards was being shared.

    A young man who was coming out of the premises was asked if he had collected his own money.

    He was initially reluctant to respond. But when our correspondent spoke to him in Ekiti language, he opened up.

    He said his name was not found in the ward list, and that he was directed to another ward.

    Asked how much was being shared, he said: “Some get N2, 000; others get N4, 000” as he hurriedly left.

    A woman was seen telling her friend that without her voter’s card, she would not be given the money.

    A group of four women were seen talking animatedly. Three of them had succeeded in collecting their cash, but the fourth woman could not collect hers because she did not bring her PVC along.

    The other women, while consoling her, said: “After all, you collected rice yesterday. At least you got something.”

    More people soon gathered at the entrance, banging on the gate. They accused those sharing the money inside of planning to pocket what is left. Some shouted: “Ole, ole!”

    A female security guard opened the gate soon after and everyone trooped into the compound, with pushing and shoving. The gate was shut again as more people gathered.

    A middle-aged bearded man, apparently a party leader, warned those who had collected theirs and were leaving not to allow any “APC member” near the place.

    Looking around as if to identify “APC members” outside the premises, he shouted: “Don’t allow any APC member near here. If any APC member comes near here, I will break his head.”

    Empty packs of F1100 Power Torch Fero Mobile phones littered the scene and around the Old Governor’s Office.

    It was not immediately clear if the phones were earlier shared to the voters.

    Vote buying and inducement is a common theme in most elections, with major political parties culpable.

    As it becomes increasingly difficult to alter election results or adopt other forms of rigging, vote buying and inducement has become the preferred option for garnering votes.

    The Ekiti Governorship election is seen as a two-horse race between the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Dr Kayode Fayemi and his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart Prof Kolapo Olusola-Eleka.

  • Ekiti 2018: More eligible voters arrive home for election

    Residents in last minute shopping

     

    Many indigenes of Ekiti State resident in other parts of the country have arrived their home state on Friday ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

    A visit to major motor parks in Ado-Ekiti showed that many travelers are arriving and are making onward journey to their respective villages and towns.

    Some of the motor parks witnessing massive arrivals include Old Garage, New Garage, Akure Garage and Mugbagba.

    The Nation also gathered that a god number of Ado-Ekiti residents are making last-minute shopping as there will be restriction of movement on the election day.

    Residents were seen purchasing food stuff, toiletries and other household items to be used during the period of the election.

    Market women were busy at Erekesan, Bisi and Irona Markets attending to customers.

    Read Also: Ekiti: History, tragedy and farce

    Petrol stations also made brisk business as motorists and motorcyclists were seen purchasing fuel while other bought fuel into jerry cans for domestic use.

    All hotels in the state capital have been fully booked with the election forming major topic of discourse as people gather in groups to discuss it.

    Virtually all government offices are closed as civil servants whose hometowns are outside the state capital had traveled in order to vote.

    Armed security men blaring their siren were patrolling the streets to give warning signals to potential troublemakers.

    The election will hold in 2,195 polling units cutting across 177 wards and 16 local government areas and three senatorial districts.

    Thirty five political parties are fielding candidates for the governorship election.

  • Ekiti 2018: You lied on alleged N18 billion poll fund, Fayemi campaign tells Olusola

    The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has debunked accusation by the Kolapo Olusola Campaign Organization alleging movement of N18b from Akure Airport to Ekiti State for the election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi.

    Olusola’s campaign spokesman, Lere Olayinka, had alleged that the funds were illegally moved from UBA to Ekiti State to fund Fayemi’s election.

    But a statement by Director of Media and Publicity Secretary, Wole Olujobi, scoffed at the suggestion, saying the author of the press release was writing from a “hallucinating imagination” and background of a professional liar.

    “Lere Olayinka has a background of integrity deficiency in information dissemination in strict complement with his boss, Governor Ayodele Fayose.

    “Across the country and the world audience through social media, Olayinka is renowned for his notoriety to concoct falsehoods and present them to readers as facts.

    “Discerning minds will note the lies contained in the story by a single logic that it took Olusola and Olayinka a whole week after the leak of funds movement before they alerted Nigerians about a purported money cargo being offloaded in Akure for Fayemi’s election in Ekiti.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: 25 political parties adopt Fayemi

    “By this lie from the pit of hell, we know that PDP is trying to paint a picture that it is a comrade-in-crime with APC after Fayose’s 2014 poll fraud funded with the loot from the office of the National Security Adviser.

    “It is also to argue that APC bought Ekiti people’s votes after Saturday humiliation of Fayose and Olusola who have set Ekiti people back in their thirst for development. Olujobi also faulted Olusola’s claim that policemen assaulted Fayose on Wednesday, explaining that the latest Fayose’s apology to the Police authorities for lying against their officers did not support the claim that police assault the governor.

    “It is great that security details attached to Fayose have confessed that there was no attack on the governor.

    “The security details confessed after they were queried for dereliction of duty in the protection of their principal.

    “Late last night, Fayose sent his aides to the police for forgiveness for lying against their officers.

    “The police spokesman this evening said so, but Olusola is still misinforming Nigerians that the police assaulted Fayose, which then goes to show the quality of his Christian life that he is flaunting to aspire to lead the state.

    “Nigerians are expecting the purported pictures showing funds movement to Ekiti State to fund Fayemi’s election, but we know that the pictures cannot be more than the 11 pictures that Fayose threatened to publish to show that President Muhammadu Buhari was on life support machine in the United Kingdom hospital,” Olujobi explained.