No results have been submitted on the results portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the ongoing Ekiti State Governorship Election yet, a check has shown.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG), however, reports voting has been concluded in some polling units in the ongoing Ekiti election and the sorting of results has commenced.
So far, according to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the INEC, the governorship election has largely remained peaceful with a large voter turnout.
Speaking during a visit to the Resident Electoral Commissioner ( REC) in the state, Mr Teller Adeniran, shortly monitoring the exercise, the acting Deputy Commandant-General (DCG) of NSCDC, Mr Haruna Muhammad, said that voter turnout was impressive and had been without any chaos.
“This is a sign that people are enthusiastic to vote. We have received reports from other local government areas and it has been positive, as voting is going on simultaneously,” he said.
Muhammad said that the corps would continue to work closely with INEC and other sister agencies to ensure a hitch-free election process.
“The election is more like an isolated one. So, we don’t want to give room for violence,” he said.
Muhammad said that the corps had deployed intelligence officers to possible flash points for effective intelligence gathering.
“We are prepared to protect national assets and we have reserved personnel in case of any emergency.
“When the poll closes, the men on ground are to be used throughout the night, while those working now will rest and be redeployed to their positions,” he said.
Responding, Adeniran said that INEC officials were deployed in real time, while polling booths opened early.
“The major aim and determination of the commission are to have an open poll.
“We had created new units and migrated some names from some polling units. They had their names pasted and they had been informed,” he said.
Adeniran said that this was to reduce high number of voters in certain polling units.
He advised security agencies to be more proactive in tackling security challenges, especially in case of any emergency.
The REC appreciated the corps, alongside other security agencies, for diligently securing the electoral process.
APC candidate, Oyebanji, boasts of winning Ekiti election
Meanwhile, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ekiti has expressed optimism that he would win the election.
Oyebanji made the assertions on Saturday after casting his vote, along with his wife, Olayemi, at the Ward 6, Unit 3, Okelele in Ikogosi-Ekiti.
He also commended the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) on the newly introduced machine for improving on the electoral process through the Bimodal Voter Authentication System technology innovation (BIVAS).
He said that introduction of the system had made the election process to be faster and credible.
The APC candidate also commended the large turn out of voters and the peaceful conduct of the election in his town.
Oyebanji expressed confidence that he would win the keenly contested election.
Oyebanji hailed the voters for enthusiastically trooping out en masse to cast their votes, 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.
Ekiti Polls : 86% INEC officials arrived polling units early – CDD
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) said its data from election observation from Ekiti indicated that 86 per cent of the National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials arrived at their polling units by 8:30am.
Prof. Adele Jinadu, Chair, Centre for Democracy and Development , Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC), made this known in the centre’s preliminary statement on the conduct of the ongoing Ekiti Governorship Election.
Jinadu said that the centre had been closely observing the election after CDD-EAC deployed 205 trained and accredited observers to the field for data collection.
According to him, the CDD-EAC observation of the election has the objective of ascertaining if the election is free, fair, credible and reflects the supremacy of the vote of the Ekiti electorate.
He added that the CDD-EAC also set up a fake news hub aimed at tracking and fact-checking misinformation and disinformation capable of undermining the credibility of the election.
He said that, “Reports from CDD field observers indicate that the general atmosphere in which the election is being conducted has been peaceful.
”Voting has largely proceeded smoothly without any reported incidents of violence or disruption of the process.
“The Electronic Observer Platform further showed that 74 per cent of INEC poll officials addressed voters before the 8:30am official time of poll opening.
“CDD-EAC observers also reported a significant increase in the number of female INEC officials, with the data showing that eight polling units had poll officials who were exclusively female.”
Jinadu said that the CDD-EAC data further showed that while four polling units had no female at all; all the others had both male and female INEC officials present.
He said that CDD-EAC data indicated that in at least 83 per cent of polling units; critical election materials like ballot papers, BVAS devices, results sheets, ballot boxes and the voter register were available.
He said that in most of the polling units, CDD-EAC observers did not see or report any form of campaigning; however, in 11.3 per cent of polling units campaigns and display of campaign materials was reported.
He said that the data showed that all polling units reported the presence of at least one party agent. However in Polling Unit 003, Ward 06 in Ekiti West LGA, only one party had an agent.
Jinadu said that CDD-EAC data showed that in all 168 Polling Units, BVAS was available; however in polling unit 010 Ward 10, in Irepodun Ifelodun LGA, there was no BVAS at the time when poll was expected to commence.
He added that the CDD-EAC Fake News Hub tracked and fact-checked a number of fake news and misinformation trending on election day.