The All Progressives Congress Governorship candidate in today’s election in Ekiti State, Hon Biodun Oyebanji, has expressed confidence that he will win the keenly contested election.
Oyebanji spoke in Ikogosi Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State after voting at Okelele ward 06 unit 003 in the town.
He was accompanied with his wife, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji to the unit.
He praised INEC for improving on the electoral process through Bimodal Voter Authentication System technology innovation, saying this has made the process faster and credible.
He hailed the voters for enthusiastically trooping out en masse to cast their vote, saying there wasn’t any case of apathy with the reports he had been getting across the 177 wards
“This is an improvement and my expectation is that I will win . I am happy that there was no case of apathy. The security build up has also been impressive, so the process has been good and fine.
I am coming with a change agenda and my manifesto is clear about the changes I am bringing”, he said.
With over 75 percent of voting materials and INEC officials arriving at the polling stations across the local governments of Ekiti state, voting for the next governor of the state have commenced in most of the areas visited by THISDAY .
As a preemptive measure against vote buying, officials of the EFCC were seen at the Police Command in their red reflective jackets.
Reports by Yiaga Africa said that out of the 250 polling units at 8.38 am, that 246 were already open for business, while the remaining four within the Ado Ekiti metropolis were awaiting arrival of INEC officials.
Later at 9.30nam, Yiaga Africa posted from its situation room that at the 250 polling stations earlier visited accreditations and voting had commenced .
Security was tight with vehicular movement partially restricted. There were operatives of security agencies like Policemen, Civil Defence officials seen in most of the polling centres visited.
Samples of voting situations in places visited:
*Voters not coordinated at this polling unit 017 ward 10 Bashiri, Security agents have ordered stoppage of exercise, pending when normalcy will be restored.
*At Ward 13, unit 01, Itanla beside delight hotel, Ilawe road, Ado Ekiti there is confusion as to whether their polling unit has been moved. Prospective voters who claimed that they had been voting there could not see INEC officials or voting materials.
* At the same polling 17 in ward 10 of the Ado local government, gunshots were fired to disperse the agitated crowd due to rowdy situation.
Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has deployed its operatives in Ekiti state to monitor today’s governorship election with a view to addressing the possibility of vote buying.
Some of the operatives and armed police personnel attached to the commission were sighted in a convoy of vehicles within Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Voting has commenced in some polling units in today’s governorship poll in Ekiti State, as voters have queued up in some units to exercise their voting rights.
In some units in Ado Ekiti, Ilawe, Igede and Iyin Ekiti, voters were being accredited with the aide of Bimodal Voter Authentication System(BVAS) and given the ballots to vote.
There was impressive turnout of voters in virtually all the polling units.
Also, despite the peaceful conduct of voters, there were complaints in some of the units that the BVAS was slow and keeping voters on the queue for too long.
However, the presiding officers in areas where BVAS seemed to be slow have complained to the Independent National Electoral Commission for proper and swift action.
Military personnel were also stationed at entering points between Ado and Iyin Ekiti and at border towns .
Operatives of the Department of State Services were also seen moving around to ensure orderliness and peaceful conduct of the poll in all the towns.
Some of the agents were also seen complaining about reported cases of vote buying and such complaints were being handled by security operatives.
As the Independent National Electoral Commission prepares to conduct the Governorship poll in Ekiti State today, it was observed that voters were resolute to cast their votes by trekking several kilometres to exercise their franchise.
The candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, People’s Democratic Party, Bisi Kolawole and Social Democratic Party , Segun Oni, are the leading candidates in the impending electoral battle.
The election is billed to begin at 8am going by INEC time table .
But as early as 6am, those living along Federal Polytechnic road and Afe Babalola University areas, with a distance of about eight kilometres to the voting centres, were seen trooping out and trekking long distance to exercise their franchise in today’s election.
Some of them were compelled to go on foot owing to the 18-hour restriction placed on the state by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali Baba.
One of them, who identified himself as Ojo Adeniyi said he was trekking to his polling unit at Ori -Ekiti, which was about six kilometres to his residential area.
When THISDAY visited some polling units at Odo Ado, Oke- Ori Omi, Okeyinmi, Irona and Oke- Ila areas in Ado- Ekiti, voters trooped out in large numbers to the extent that the polling units were becoming overcrowded.
Unarmed Policemen were also deployed in all the polling units as early as 6am, while armed policemen were also noticed in some strategic areas to prevent violence.
Thousands of voters will today file out in Ekiti State to elect a new governor that will succeed Kayode Fayemi who is at the tail end of his second four-year tenure.
No fewer than 16 political parties are fielding candidates for the election, but it is expected to be a fierce battle involving Biodun Oyebanji of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bisi Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
For most of yesterday, tension remained very high across the state, with voters bitterly divided among the three leading candidates. Fear of violence was palpable.
For seamless conduct of today’s election in Ekiti State, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, yesterday ordered the restriction of vehicular movements along entry and exit points to the state from 12:00am on 18th June, 2022 to 6:00pm of the same day.
The police added: “To this end, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the military, as well as other security agencies have been deployed across the state borders to enforce the restriction order to the letter and ensure criminal minded individuals do not infiltrate the State.”
The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Johnson Kokumo had earlier disclosed that Ekiti State would be properly secured to avoid any breakdown of law and order during the poll.
He also revealed that a total of 17,000 personnel had been deployed for the poll.
The DIG added that soldiers would be at the borders of the communities to prevent any form of intrusion.
According to him, all security operatives with VIPs should be withdrawn and returned to base for the purpose of the election. The DIG called on the people to be law abiding and to respect all the processes of the elections to be able to have a peaceful governorship election in the state.
INEC Says it is Ready
INEC spent most of yesterday moving sensitive voting materials to the wards, while assuring all that the election would be free and fair.
The electoral umpire had earlier revealed that 988,923 voters captured in the Commission’s register would decide who becomes the new Ekiti State Governor.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu appealed to staff of the commission to be neutral and abide by the code of conduct signed by them.
He said: “I appeal to you to uphold our Code of Conduct, display your usual sense of responsibility and professionalism; remain above board and firmly resist any unethical behaviour.”
He further charged them to ensure that no political party or candidate was accorded any advantage over the other.
“We must also always stick strictly to the oath of neutrality to which we have all subscribed and continually live up to the trust that Nigerians repose in us,” Yakubu said.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said 734,746 persons had collected their Permanent Voters Card for the election.
Okoye assured electorates of the commission’s readiness to conduct a free, fair and credible election.
He said: “It is now a matter of common knowledge that we have 16 LGAs in Ekiti State and the election will be staged in 177 registration areas.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, yesterday said it would deploy 9,747 personnel drawn from FCT, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Kogi, Kwara and Edo commands to provide security for the election.
Addressing personnel at the Ekiti State Command headquarters of the NSCDC in Ado Ekiti, before they moved to their respective places of deployment, Acting Deputy Commandant General Operations, Lawal Haruna, disclosed that some flash points had already been identified and would be properly monitored.
Oni Alleges Intimidation
The SDP candidate yesterday alleged that some desperate politicians were already violating the peace accord signed this week before the Abdudalami Abubakar-led National Peace Commission.
Oni said rather than adhering to the tenets of democracy in the conduct of the June 18 Ekiti election, those he described as “oppressors”, had allegedly been dehumanising and demobilising his supporters through unlawful arrests.
Oni, who addressed pressmen in Ado Ekiti, alerted INEC, international community, security agencies, observers and other stakeholders, saying “for this election to be acceptable, the REC must stamp and sign all forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C and EC8D and not by any other agent or staff. Once the REC stamps and signs, nobody will be able to smuggle any form of fake results.”
On the imperative of peace for the election to be successful, Oni said: “I will keep to the peace accord. But when you are kidnapping people, it renders every peace document invalid. Let us tell them not to set this state on fire.
“Those who had been going round to kidnap my supporters should be called to order now. They are testing the patience and tolerance of the people. They shouldn’t set this state on fire. If anybody commits an offence and they think they are the authorities to go round and arrest people at night, then the peace accord becomes shattered immediately.”
How the Battle will Be Fought
The APC looks good to win Ekiti South Senatorial District, comprising six local governments – Gbonyin, Ekiti East, Ikere, Ekiti Southwest, Emure and Ise/Orun. Oyebanji’s running mate, Mrs Mojisola Afuye hails from Ikere. With the votes from Ikere and party chieftains in the area, APC may likely win the zone.
In Ekiti South, the APC boasts of bigwigs like the Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Funminiyi Afuye; two members of House of Representatives – Hon Femi Bamisile and Yemi Adaramodu; the APC State Chairman, Paul Omotoso; former Minister, Dayo Adeyeye and Chief Afolabi Ojuawo. These big wigs that can make things happen for the APC.
Oyebanji and Kolawole are from Ekiti Central Senatorial District, comprising five local government areas – Ado, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Efon, Ijero and Ekiti West. This is going to be a battleground. Oyebanji is from Ekiti West while Kolawole is from Efon.
In the last election, APC won four local governments in the senatorial zone and may still retain at least three this time, with the exception of Efon and Ado Ekiti.
The PDP may spring surprise in Efon because Kolawole hails from the town.
The influence of Segun Oni’s Deputy, Ladi Owolabi in Ado Ekiti is also enormous. The large concentration of pensioners and civil servants, who seem to be backing Oni may also help the SDP tremendously in Ekiti Central.
In Ekiti Central, the APC also parades political heavyweights like the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; Deputy governor, Bisi Egbeyemi and Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; These people are capable of doing the magic for APC. Victory for APC Ekiti Central may be by a narrow margin.
Ekiti North Senatorial District has always been a natural habitat and stronghold of Oni since 2007. The district has five councils – Ido/Osi, Moba, Ilejemeje, Ikole and Oye local governments. Oni is from Ido/Osi.
APC won the five councils in Ekiti North in the last election, but Oni was still in the ruling party then. As strong as Oni is in Ekiti North, he will meet a match in Fayemi, who is from the area.
The Director General, Biodun Oyebanji campaign council, Cyril Fasuyi, is also from Ekiti North. But Segun Oni still has visible and electrifying presence in Ido/Osi, Moba and Ilejemeje
APC also has influential politicians in Ekiti North. Whichever way it goes, Oni may likely carry the day in Ekiti North.
N89.1 East, Ikere, Ekiti Southwest, Emure and Ise/Orun. Oyebanji’s running mate, Mrs Mojisola Afuye hails from Ikere. With the votes from Ikere and party chieftains in the area, APC may likely win the zone.
In Ekiti South, the APC boasts of bigwigs like the Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Funminiyi Afuye; two members of House of Representatives – Hon Femi Bamisile and Yemi Adaramodu; the APC State Chairman, Paul Omotoso; former Minister, Dayo Adeyeye and Chief Afolabi Ojuawo. These big wigs that can make things happen for the APC.
Oyebanji and Kolawole are from Ekiti Central Senatorial District, comprising five local government areas – Ado, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Efon, Ijero and Ekiti West. This is going to be a battleground. Oyebanji is from Ekiti West while Kolawole is from Efon.
In the last election, APC won four local governments in the senatorial zone and may still retain at least three this time, with the exception of Efon and Ado Ekiti.
The PDP may spring surprise in Efon because Kolawole hails from the town.
The influence of Segun Oni’s Deputy, Ladi Owolabi in Ado Ekiti is also enormous. The large concentration of pensioners and civil servants, who seem to be backing Oni may also help the SDP tremendously in Ekiti Central.
In Ekiti Central, the APC also parades political heavyweights like the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; Deputy governor, Bisi Egbeyemi and Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; These people are capable of doing the magic for APC. Victory for APC Ekiti Central may be by a narrow margin.
Ekiti North Senatorial District has always been a natural habitat and stronghold of Oni since 2007. The district has five councils – Ido/Osi, Moba, Ilejemeje, Ikole and Oye local governments. Oni is from Ido/Osi.
APC won the five councils in Ekiti North in the last election, but Oni was still in the ruling party then. As strong as Oni is in Ekiti North, he will meet a match in Fayemi, who is from the area.
The Director General, Biodun Oyebanji campaign council, Cyril Fasuyi, is also from Ekiti North. But Segun Oni still has visible and electrifying presence in Ido/Osi, Moba and Ilejemeje
APC also has influential politicians in Ekiti North. Whichever way it goes, Oni may likely carry the day in Ekiti North
