Tag: Halilu Pai

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC)in Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, has said the Commission is prepared to defend its integrity before the Election Petitions Tribunal.

In a telephone interactions with reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital yesterday, Pai said the action taken by APC was right according to the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.

Pai spoke through the Commission’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Taiwo Gbadegesin, in reaction to the petition filed at the Election Petitions Tribunal by the Chairman of APC in the state, Chief Jide Awe.

His words: “The candidate declared by INEC, Mr Ayodele Fayose, won the

election gallantly having fulfilled all the laid-down provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended during the election.

“Any aggrieved party or candidate who wishes to challenge the outcome is equally free to do so within the ambit of the same enabling instrument.

The REC added that the Commission did not perpetrate any form of compromise, noting: “We are even happy that they are in court rather than trying us on the pages of newspapers”.

“We are always on the alert after every election to receive such because no matter the effort and resources you put to electoral process, we have not developed to the level of accepting defeat without litigation.

“We are prepared for them and after we are served, we will have to perfect our papers and get ready to defend our action in Court.

“What they are doing is not against the law and I want to say again that we are going to give them all they need to help their case because we have nothing to hide. But we are waiting for them to confirm to us that we have been joined,” Pai said.

Amidst expressions of fear by rival groups in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security operatives yesterday pledged level-playing field for all camps.

At a meeting called by the state Council of Traditional Rulers yesterday, regarding the preparedness of INEC and security agencies for the poll, INEC and security operatives promised to “ensure free, fair and credible governorship election”.

The parley was attended by traditional rulers across the 16 councils of the state, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Halilu Pai, Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Felix Uyanna and the State Director, Department of State Security, Mr. Samuel Tamuno.

The REC assured that election materials would not be late in getting to locations, adding that the commission had “started distribution of non-sensitive materials to all the 16 council areas in the state”.

Pai added that sensitive materials would get to the councils only two days to the election, adding that the commission had so far registered additional 76,000 prospective voters through the continuous voter registration in addition to the 657,000 already captured during the 2011 voter registration.

Noting the improvement in the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the REC urged those who had not collected their PVCs to do so. He also vowed that no one without the card would be allowed to vote.

Dismissing the rumour that some politicians were planning to “clone the PVCs to gain undue advantages to perpetrate fraud,” Pai maintained it would be difficult to clone the cards given “the security features embedded on both the PVCs and the ballot papers”.

He appealed to traditional rulers to advise all parties in the election to be peaceful, saying: “INEC will do everything to ensure that all votes count”.

The CP, in his own comments, said the security operatives have outlined measures to ensure that all the 2,195 polling booths were manned by operatives, adding that no fewer than 12,000 policemen would be deployed in the state for the exercise.

Uyanna said: “Each polling booth will be manned by three policemen to be headed by an officer not below a superintendent of police and will be supplemented with other officers from sister security agencies.

“Besides, there will be 200 counter-terrorist officers, two DIGs and AIGs. There will also be four sniffer dogs, horses and two aircraft that will be hovering in the sky to monitor the process.”

He maintained that the high presence of law enforcement agents, including the military on the election day, should not intimidate the voters.

His words: “Our job is to ensure security and to provide a level-playing ground and this we are doing.”

Tamuno remarked that the SSS had been providing intelligence reports to both INEC and the police to ensure credible election, noting that the organisation would support sister security agencies for the achievement of credible exercise.

Earlier, the chairman of the traditional rulers’ council, Oba Adamo Babalola, said the meeting was necessary to know the level of preparedness of the security operatives and the INEC ahead of the election.

The monarchs, who spoke after the other at the meeting, commended government officials for their commitment towards credible election. They, however, urged them not to allow the Anambra episode to reoccur in Ekiti, adding that early arrival of election materials at the polling booths would calm nerves and help the attainment of violence-free poll.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has predicted high turn-out of voters on June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Halilu Pai, who spoke in a telephone interaction with journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday noted that there had been improvements in the collection of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by the electorate.

According to him, contrary to fears of possible voter apathy on the election day, the electorate would turn out to vote in large numbers.

Pai added that those without the PVCs would not be allowed to vote.

Speaking through the commission’s spokesperson, Alhaji Taiwo Gbadegesin, the REC said the electorate had been encouraging in their response to the collection of their PVCs,

He said: “This has strengthened our belief that the poll will be successful”.

It will be recalled that the REC had clarified at a forum recently in the state capital that a total of 285,574 voter cards were yet uncollected, noting that such a situation might occasion apathy and low turnout of voters during the election.