…Arise confident of APC victory

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has commended the conduct of the ongoing governorship election in the state, describing the accreditation and voting process as seamless and efficient.

Fayemi, who voted at Ward 11, Unit 9, Ogrilolo, Isan-Ekiti, praised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the smooth conduct of the exercise.

“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,” he said.

“I want to commend the team working for INEC on this occasion. It is not always the case that things go this smoothly. At least on the technical side, it appears to have been a seamless process.

“Despite the unfortunate incident we experienced here last night, which had nothing to do with politics, the process has been well organised.”

Addressing concerns that the incident may have affected voter turnout, Fayemi clarified that the altercation involved two individuals and was unrelated to politics or the election.

“This is ordinarily a peaceful community. We have a lot at stake because their son was the immediate past governor of the state, and we played our role in putting the current governor in office. So, we are critical stakeholders, but we are also a peaceful community.

“What happened was unfortunate. It was an altercation between two individuals that had absolutely nothing to do with politics or the election.

“I have been assured by the police authorities, up to the level of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, that serious steps are being taken to investigate the matter and ensure that whoever is culpable is brought to justice.

“We do not want anything of the sort to lead to a breakdown of peace in our community. We will continue to handle the matter in a way that ensures complete and lasting peace returns to the community,” he said.

Meanwhile, former senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, Senator Ayo Arise, has expressed confidence that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will emerge victorious in the election despite what he described as average voter turnout in parts of the state.

Speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote in Oye-Ekiti, Arise described the process as peaceful, smooth and efficient, although turnout at his polling unit was lower than expected.

The former lawmaker noted that voters leaving immediately after casting their ballots may have made it difficult to accurately assess overall turnout, stressing that his observations were limited to the period he spent at the polling unit.

“The election was very peaceful, very smooth and quick too,” he said.

“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 around average—not too poor, but certainly not exceptionally high.

“In fact, I expected more in terms of the APC support base, but at the end of the day, I believe there is really no serious competition for the APC in this election.”

Commenting on the party’s aspiration of securing 500,000 votes, Arise described the target as ambitious but achievable.

“I am 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 do not make it, it will not be an indictment. It would simply mean that we need to work harder to encourage greater participation in future elections,” he said.