With 1,059,360 registered voters set to decide Ekiti State’s next governor today, the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party and African Democratic Congress have expressed confidence in securing victory at the poll.
While the APC said it was targeting a landslide victory across all 16 local government areas of the state, the PDP and ADC insisted they had the support needed to win in at least 10 local governments each.
The APC State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, said, “Our expectation in the governorship election is to win by a landslide. We have a target of 500,000 votes. We want to get the 500,000 votes and exceed it. That’s our expectation.
“We are looking at winning 16 out of 16 local governments, 177 out of 177 wards, 2,445 out of 2,445 polling units.”
Asked about the party’s fears regarding the poll, Dipe said, “We have nothing to fear; the only anticipation is that we want to make history. We know we will win, but we want to win by a landslide. We have been talking about 500,000 votes, we want to realise it and exceed it; that is our expectation and anticipation, not fear.”
Also speaking, the state secretary of the ADC, Jackson Adebayo, expressed confidence that the party would win the election.
Adebayo, who expressed concerns over the incumbency factor and vote-buying, said the ADC would still win despite the two factors.
He said, “We believe in the goodwill of the people. If the election depends on the goodwill of the people, we are good to go. We will win many local governments. At least, we can comfortably win about 10 local governments.
“We are confident of winning the election because not all the people are so gullible, and not every voter is corrupt. There are still some people who believe that their conscience will determine whatever they will do. So, we are still confident.”
Also, the Director of Media of the PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Sanya Atofarati, said the party was banking on the people’s support.
“We are confident that we are winning this election,” he said in an interview
He said, “We can authoritatively say that we are winning by 60 per cent, even as of today (Friday). We have the confidence that we are winning the election. Currently, we are winning comfortably in at least 10 local government areas.”
The spokesman, who said the PDP had no fear about participating in the poll, added, “We are appealing to the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission to be fair and ensure that nobody indulges in anything capable of undermining the credibility of the election.
“We are confident that they will discharge their duties in line with their conscience, knowing fully well that this election is very strategic, because it is a gateway to other elections to come in 2027.”
Parties to deploy over 7,000 agents
Meanwhile, the three parties disclosed that over 7,000 agents would be deployed to monitor the election at the various polling units.
A chieftain of the PDP in the state, Gani Salau, said the party would deploy over 2,000 agents.
“We would deploy over 2,000 agents,” he said
On his part, the APC’s publicity secretary said the party would deploy agents to all the 2,445 polling units in the state.
“Our party will deploy one party agent to each of the 2,445 polling units in the state. The implication is that we are deploying a minimum of 2,445 polling agents,” he said.
An official of the ADC, who spoke earlier with one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity, stated that the party would also have agents in all the 2,445 polling units.
Apart from the party agents, some civil society organisations are also deploying observers to monitor the conduct of the poll in the state.
Residents hopeful of peaceful poll
It was also observed that vehicular movement within the metropolis increased on Friday.
A cross-section of residents, who spoke in different locations such as Basiri Motor Park, Ajilosun and Iworoko Road, expressed readiness to participate in the poll.
In some of the markets visited within the Ado Ekiti metropolis and some other major towns in the state, residents were also observed buying basic necessities ahead of the restriction of movement on election day.
Government offices and schools were closed on Friday due to the holiday declared by the state government for workers to prepare for the election and to give eligible voters time to vote in their different communities.
Speaking on her expectations, a civil servant, Adijat Akanmu, who expressed readiness to vote, said mobilisation of voters by the political parties was poor.
Akanmu said, “I am ready to participate in the poll, but the mobilisation by the political parties has been rather poor. I am expecting a peaceful poll. From all indications, it will be a peaceful exercise.”
A driver operating from Basiri Motor Park, Seun Olatunji, said he was travelling to Ikogosi, where he registered to vote.
Police ready, read riot act to troublemakers
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force on Friday reiterated its readiness for the poll, saying it had adequately prepared for the exercise to ensure no security breach before, during and after it.
The supervising Deputy Inspector-General of Police for the election, Mustapha Fayoade, assured voters and electoral officials of adequate security before, during and after the poll.
Fayoade said, “The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with other security agencies, has put in place robust security arrangements, including adequate deployment of personnel and logistics.”
The Supervising DIG, who spoke in Ado Ekiti during an engagement with officers and other security stakeholders, urged personnel “to exhibit the highest level of professionalism, discipline and respect for the rule of law in the discharge of their duties.”
He urged members of the public, political actors and other stakeholders to “cooperate fully with security agencies, remain law-abiding and contribute to a peaceful electoral environment.”
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the election, Abayomi Shogunle, who corroborated the DIG, said the force was well prepared for the election, adding that officers were already on the ground to ensure that the exercise went hitch-free.
Shogunle, who spoke while addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti on Friday, said, “Police escorts or armed guards will also remain with those materials as well as INEC staff and ad hoc staff.
“Very early on Saturday (today) morning, those materials will be distributed under police escort to all the polling units in Ekiti. In collaboration with INEC, we want all polling units to be set up as early as 6:30 a.m. to be ready for voting, so that voting will begin at 8:30 a.m., which is the stipulated time.
“If voting is to start now, we are fully prepared. Everything that is needed to be done has been done. And from my engagement with civil society organisations that are present here up to last night, there has been confidence in security agencies in ensuring that the election goes on peacefully without any incidents.”
Shogunle also warned those planning to cause trouble before, during and after the election to steer clear of the exercise, saying, “Anybody caught causing a crisis would be dealt with accordingly.”
The police announced restrictions on inter-state and intra-state vehicular movement across the state on election day, saying, “The restriction takes effect from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m. on election day and shall affect all roads within the state and inter-state highways.”
The spokesperson for the Ekiti State Police Command, Sunday Abutu, said in a statement on Friday, “The movement of VIPs with armed escorts or security aides to polling units and collation centres is strictly discouraged and will not be allowed.
“This vehicular movement restriction is expected to prevent the movement of political thugs and other criminal elements who may attempt to disrupt the electoral process.
“The restriction applies to all forms of motorised transportation, including private cars, commercial vehicles, trucks, tricycles and motorcycles. All intending inter-state travellers planning to travel through any part of Ekiti State are advised to take alternative routes during the stated period.”
Punch