INEC fixes April 15 for Ekiti Assembly supplementary election
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed April 15, this year for the supplementary election in Ido-Osi Constituency 1 in the Ekiti House of Assembly.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Prof. Ayobami Salami, made the declaration at Ado-Ekiti, Thursday while presenting Certificates of Return to 25 other members of the House who were elected on March 18.
INEC had declared the election in Ido-Osi Constituency 1 of the state inconclusive following disruption of the exercise by suspected political thugs.
Salami who noted that the exercise was declared inconclusive in only three polling units in the constituency on March 18, expressed the preparedness of INEC to conduct peaceful and hitch-free supplementary election in the polling units on April 15.
He appealed to stakeholders in the constituency to cooperate with the electoral body and with security agencies for a successful conclusion of the process.
“The Commission has only three polling units in Ido-Osi Constituency 1 where election was inconclusive.
“The inconclusive election will be concluded on April 15. We are prepared; we are ready to conduct the election.
“We appeal to all the stakeholders in Ido-Osi Constituency 1 to please, cooperate with INEC and with the security agencies so that the Commission can have a successful conclusion of the process.
“I believe we shall get more support and more collaboration of all stakeholders.
“We need to work with the security agencies; with political parties; with civil society organisations and with all stakeholders to ensure that we have a successful election in the place,’’ Salami said.
It would also be recalled that INEC had fixed the same Saturday, April 15 to conduct the governorship, national and state assembly supplementary elections in Kebbi and Adamawa states.
The election in Kebbi was declared inconclusive due to breaches of electoral laws that led to cancellation of results in polling units within 20 of the state’s 21 local government areas (LGAs).
INEC’s Returning Officer in the state, Professor Yusuf Sa’idu, said violence, destruction of election materials, disruption of electoral proceedings and over-voting played a role in having the election declared inconclusive.
While, in Adamawa, the candidate of the APC, Senator Aishatu Dahiru (aka Binani) was reaching 390,275 votes as the incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and PDP candidate polled 421,524, when state collation officer, Prof Muhammadu Mele declared the election inconclusive due to the margin of votes.
“Elections were not held in 47 wards, affecting 69 polling units. So, this gives us a margin of 31,249. The total number of PVCs collected in places where elections were not held amounted to 37,016,” he said.
