Nigeria: Massive Turnout Of Voters At Ekiti Election, Peaceful Exercise Reported

Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) monitoring the election across the three senatorial districts of the state report that many voters had arrived their polling units as early as 6.30 a.m. to wait for election officials.

Across many polling units in Ado Ekiti, the state capital,  there was an impressive turnout of enthusiastic voters determined to exercise their civic responsibilities.

At ward 10 Unit 12 a&b, Basiri area of Ado-Ekiti, the Assistant Presiding Officer, Miss Nafisat Jamie,  told NAN that though they collected all the election materials as early as 6.00 am,  the process could not start due to  transportation challenge to the unit.

As at 8.53 am, the  names of eligible voters were just being pasted for viewing  and confirmation.

An observer from the Transition Monitoring Group, Mrs Tosin Abati, told NAN that the process started late due to late arrival of INEC officials.

At Ward 10 Unit 9, Okesha area of the state capital, the Assistant Presiding Officer  2, Mr Owoseni Taiwo, addressed the voters, who were already on the queue and opened  the ballot box for everyone to see and confirm that it was empty.

Visits  to Wards 3, Units 5 and 13 Idemo, and Ward 9 Unit 12 Odo-Ado revealed that  accreditation and voting were going on simultaneously with security men on standby.

Dr Mike Omilusi, an observer from the Allaince for Credible Election, commended INEC for its pro-active strategies  in terms  of  voter education and sensitisation ahead of the  poll.

He also commended INEC on the use of the card readers for the election, but advised that more card readers be made available in future elections.

The observer said that the new idea of accreditation and voting simultaneously was  commendable, noting that this would ensure quick conclusion of the exercise.

At the St Michael’s School, Ajilosun, opposite Mobil filling station, the turnout was also impressive while the accreditation and voting process was  also going on  simultaneously.

Speaking with NAN, an observer from the Justice Development and Peace Initiative, Mr Aluko Isiaih, said that, the election started well until when the card reader in one of the wards stopped working  for about 45 minutes before it was rectified.

Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, elections were going smoothly in  all the eight units located within the school’s  premises while there was no  report of violence.

Efforts to speak with members of  the monitoring team from the British High Commission, however, failed  as they declined comments.

Mr Wale Adebayo, a member of the  team,  told NAN that they had  no comment to make.

In Isan-Ekiti, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi,  hails from, accreditation and voting commenced across many polling units between 8.03a.m and 8.38.

In Fayemi’s Polling Unit 009  Ward 11, NAN reports that accreditation and voting commenced at about 8:38 a.m. although INEC officials arrived at about 7:26 a.m.

Accreditation and voting began in Polling Units 006 and 007 as well as 005 between 8: 03 a.m.  and 8:10 a.m.

At Unit 009, no fewer than 345 names of voters appeared on the pasted registered list.

In Ikere –Ekiti, the home town of the PDP flagbearer, Prof. Kolapo Olusola,  voters trooped out as early as 6.30 a.m. to various polling units.

NAN  reports that a huge crowd was sighted at the  Ofamofuru Polling Unit 007, Ward 02, of Olusola.

The Presiding Officer of the polling unit, Mr Layeni Segun, had urged  the voters to conduct themselves in an  orderly manner after displaying  the empty ballox box to those gathered.

He equally appealed to the voters to allow the elderly and nursing mothers to cast their votes first.

Other polling units visited such as  ‎L.A Pilot Polling Unit,08, Ward 002, Custom Polling Unit,08, Idiyin Polling unit 006, Ward 002  also‎ witnessed a massive crowd of voters.

NAN reports that no fewer than 667,064 eligible voters  had  collected their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs)  out of  the 913, 334 registered.

NAN also report that the electorate would vote in  2,195 polling units spread across 177 wards in the 16 local government areas of Ekiti while 35 candidates are contesting.