The Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) is set to conduct referendum in 12 out of the 16 Local Government Areas, covering 137 wards across the State on Saturday.
The referendum which was directed by the state House of Assembly is to allow citizens of the state to approve or disapprove (through a referendum) the newly created 18 local council development areas announced by the state government.
The Commission said in a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Friday that adequate arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the referendum, while assuring that sufficient number of Local Government SIEC staff have been mobilized and sensitized for the exercise.
It added that vehicles and security personnel’s have also been deployed to make the programme hitch-free and successful.
The release added that since there was no legal court ruling or injunction barring the commission from conducting the referendum, option A4 which allows the people to vote Yes or No by headcount has been adopted for the exercise.
The release further stated that having been empowered by Section 8(3) of the 1999 Constitution to carry out the exercise, the referendum would commence by 8:00am in all collating centres in the affected council areas, while actual counting will be done as from 12noon and result will eventually be distilled and forwarded to the State House of Assembly for further processing.
The release warned overzealous politicians and other perceived trouble makers to stay away from the venues of the exercise, adding that the people should be allowed to freely exercise their rights without molestation or intimidation.
It will be recalled that the state government had announced the creation of 18 new LCDAs from the existing 16 local government councils in response to the demands of the people and also to bring government closer to the people.
Last modified: July 19, 2014
