SUPPORTERS of the governor-elect of Ekiti State, Mr Ayò Fayose, and party leaders, on Thursday, stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) secretariat in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, where the commission handed the certificate of return in the election to him and the deputy governor-elect, Dr. Kolapo Olubunmi Olushola-Eleka.
The presentation was sequel to his victory over the incumbent governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s governorship election conducted in the state.
Speaking after receiving the certificate, Fayose said: “I want to thank Governor Kayode Fayemi for conceding defeat to me. He has proved to be a statesman. But it will be ungentlemanly for him to start creating local governments or employing people he has not employed in the past four years. I want to advise that he has been honourable and he has to maintain this.”
Commenting on the election, Fayose said “with this election, INEC has proved that it has the capacity to put Nigeria back on track. You did not choose a governor for us in your office, but you allowed Ekiti people to freely choose. This will forever remain in history.”
Fayose advised those who are not from the state to desist from making harsh comments about the election, saying “democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
“I will go for the goal like Chief Obafemi Awolowo because I will not look sideways. It only takes the kindness of God for people to rise twice. And I am making this pledge that I will serve the common people and I will also respect the elite.”
He said as the leader of the PDP in the South-West, he would do everything within his power to reawaken and reenergise the party in the zone.
Fayose urged all Ekiti indigenes not to entertain fear, saying he wouldn’t persecute anybody on account of political differences.
Presenting the certificate, the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, promised that the commission would continue to replicate the achievement recorded in Ekiti in the subsequent elections.
Jega, who was represented on the occasion by the INEC Commissioner in charge of Ekiti, Oyo and Ogun states, Professor Lai Olurode, stated that many top functionaries of the commission would have been sacked, but for good performance in Ekiti election.
He said the Ekiti election “was not delivered by caesarian section because we did not predict the outcome. We never allowed our personal predilection to determine the outcome of the election. That is why we are celebrating today.
“Before, we have seen a governor who won election and could not stay in his state to celebrate with the people. So, I plead with Nigerians to continue to have confidence in us. If you see any of our officials perpetrating fraud, try and gather evidence, Professor Jega will not spare such person.”
Jega remarked that Fayose and Fayemi displayed high level of political leadership, particularly with their utterances and body languages after the election, urging politicians to emulate the gesture.
He urged politicians to stop the bashing of INEC to prevent its credibility from being eroded in the eyes of the public, particularly the international community.
He said “we never knew what would have happened to our jobs if the election had ended the way of Anambra. But we thank God that the Resident Electoral Commissioner saved our jobs.
“You know Ekiti election came after Anambra election. But we were not happy with what happened in Anambra because we prepared for it better than Ekiti.
“The anxiety before the election was unprecedented and nobody knew what would happen to Ekiti after the election because of the trepidation.”
In his remarks, the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Halilu Pai, described the ceremony as a celebration of success and victory in the poll, which had been adjudged free and fair and exact representation of the will of the people.”
He said, “By this INEC has lived up to its words. But the success should not be ascribed to INEC alone, it is a collective one by all stakeholders which include the security agencies, politicians and the electorate.
“The lesson we have learnt in the election is that, it has reshaped the political volatility that is attached to Ekiti. We have exhibited our political ruggedness by conducting free and fair election that represents the will of the electorate.
“The people of the state came out en masse to exercise their rights. We appreciate this and we thank you all. But there is room for improvement. We will continue to improve and reciprocate this performance in future elections by embracing transparency of purpose.”
Ekiti to create 18 LCDAs • Decision ‘ungentlemanly’ —Fayose
THE Ekiti State government is set to create additional 18 ‘Council Development Areas’ in addition to the existing local government areas in the state, saying the move is based on “the recommendations of the White Paper Committee set up by the government.”
A statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti by the state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr Tayo Ekundayo, on Thursday, said the state executive council approved the creation of the new council development areas and added that they would be created after a referendum by the state’s electoral commission.
Ekundayo said: “The new council areas are to be created from the existing 16 local government areas of the state after the conduct of a referendum by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and consideration of the outcome of the referendum by the Ekiti State House of Assembly.”
According to him, “the 18 new council areas are to operate as Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) pending the concurrence of the National Assembly, which would accord them the status of full fledged local government councils.”
He said the new councils and their proposed headquarters as contained in the White Paper and approved by the state executive council are as follows: Ado West LCDA – Okesha; Ado-North LCDA, Oke–Ila; Ado-Central LCDA, Ijigbo; Ekiti North-East LCDA, Kota-Ekiti; Ogotun/Igbaraodo LCDA, Oke- Agbe and Osi/Isokan LCDA, Ifaki.
The statement listed others as: Eka Meta LCDA, Erijiyan- Ekiti; Okemesi/Ido Ile LCDA, Okemesi-Ekiti; Gbonyin LCDA, Aisegba; Irewolede LCDA, Iloro- Ekiti; Irede LCDA, Ipoti-Ekiti and Ikere West LCDA, Anaye.
Others are Ajoni LCDA, Aiyedun; Ifelodun LCDA, Igbemo–Ekiti; Araromi LCDA, Iyin–Ekiti; Ero LCDA, Igogo; Ifesowapo LCDA, Bamisile Land and Ifeloju LCDA, Ilupeju- Ekiti.
But the in-coming governor of the state, Mr Ayo Fayose, in reaction to the decision on the coming new LCDAs, said it was “ungentlemanly for the Dr. Kayode Fayemi administration to be creating local government areas at the twilight of his administration.”
He also expressed his displeasure at what he described as the moves by the outgoing government in the state to employ people at this time in the life of the administration.
Ekiti election causes ripples in Senate
THE quick intervention of Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu prevented what would have led to exchange of blows at the Thursday’s sitting following a sharp disagreement between Senator Andy Uba and Babafemi Ojudu over Ekiti polls.
Chairman of Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Senator Andy Uba had moved a motion through Order 43 of the Senate Standing orders 2011, as amended, calling on the Senate to commend INEC for doing a good job in Ekiti.
But a rowdy session ensued when Senatir Ojudu rose to counter Uba, saying that Uba’s brother was part of the confusion in Ekiti..
He was promptly taken up by Senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who shouted him down. Senators Philip Aduda representing the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Smart Adeyemi representing Kogi West, moved against Ojudu, but Ekweremadu intervened to stop further action.
Uba, had while raising Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rule, commended the electoral body for conducting what he called “the most credible election in the country.”
He said that there was a lot of improvement in the conduct of the Ekiti State governorship election by INEC, adding that the exercise was a departure from previous ones.
Uba also commended the people and government of Ekiti State for the peaceful conduct of the election which saw PDP’s Ayo Fayose emerging victorious over incumbent Givernor , Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress, (APC).
The Senator also commended the security agencies for ensuring adequate security during and after the election adding that it was important that the agencies maintain the same spirit during subsequent elections.
But Ojudu, who lost his ward during the election, got infuriated, accusing Uba and the PDP of unwholesome activities.
He alleged that Uba’s younger brother, Chief Chris Uba, was said to have led a team of policement to cause havoc in the state.
Ojudu had said: “My colleague (Andy Uba) had already read Order 43, I don’t need to repeat it. I will like to commend the governor-elect of Ekiti state and my governor for accepting the result of the election.
“But I want to say here Mr. President that my colleague who stood here to talk, his younger brother Chris Uba, who allegedly led police to a hotel and smashed all the doors of the hotel…”
He was immediately tackled by PDP Senators who shouted him down.
Ekweremadu, however, doused the tension when he immediately intervened. He also commended INEC for a “job well done” in Ekiti adding that therebwas the need for the commission to do better in the forthcoming elections.
Source: Tribune
