Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has praised the conduct of Saturday’s governorship election, describing the voting exercise as efficient and well-organised.
Speaking after casting his ballot at Polling Unit 9, Ward 11, Ogilolo, Isan Ekiti, Fayemi said the accreditation and voting procedures were conducted without difficulties, commending officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their professionalism.
Reflecting on his experience at the polling centre, the former governor stated, “It was a smooth experience. Everything went reasonably well. The accreditation process was fast and seamless, and I could see that it was the same for my wife.
“I want to commend the team working for INEC on this occasion. It’s not always been the case that things would be this smooth. So, at least on the technical side, it would appear to have been a process that was seamless.”
Fayemi’s remarks came as voting progressed peacefully in several parts of the state, with election officials attending promptly to voters and electoral materials arriving on schedule in many polling units.
Similarly, former Senator representing Ekiti North, Senator Ayo Arise, also commended the conduct of the exercise after voting in Oye Ekiti.
Speaking at his residence following the exercise, Arise described the election as peaceful and orderly, although he noted that voter participation in some areas appeared lower than anticipated.
He said, “The election was very peaceful, very smooth and quick too. But I am not too sure whether we had the kind of crowd we expected. At my polling unit, I have seen longer queues in previous elections. The turnout I witnessed was average—not too poor, but certainly not exceptionally high.
“In fact, I expected more in terms of the support base of the APC, but at the end of the day, I believe there is really no serious competition for APC in this election.
“I’m not sure we have ever delivered 500,000 votes in any election in contemporary times. It is an aspiration; something we are praying and looking forward to.
“If we don’t make it, it would not be an indictment. It would simply mean we need to work harder to encourage greater participation in future elections,” the former National Assembly member said.
Despite his reservations about turnout figures, Arise expressed confidence that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would secure victory in the poll, maintaining that the party remained the dominant political force in the state.
The positive assessments by both political leaders added to reports of a generally calm and orderly electoral process across Ekiti State as voters headed to the polls to elect their next governor.
(Ripples)
