As Ekiti people prepare for the gubernatorial election scheduled for June 21, the State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has charged the party members to be on the alert and participate actively in the processes organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the elections.
Speaking in Iyin Ekiti at a meeting of APC leaders hosted by former Governor of the state Otunba Niyi Adebayo, on Sunday, Governor Fayemi stated that the party members must carefully monitor the electoral process by ensuring that it conforms to the provisions of the constitution and the electoral act and promote credible, free and fair elections.
Fayemi’s charge, it is believed, is to forestall a repeat of the hiccups in last year’s guber election in Anambra State wherein many of the supporters of the APC candidate, Senator Chris Ngige could not find their names in the voters register and inevitably disfranchised.
Dr. Fayemi while urging his party members to be prepared for the task ahead of them explained that the APC membership registration which commences in the State on Wednesday will be followed by INEC stakeholders’ forum and the manual registration of voters, confirmation of names and distribution of permanent voters cards.
He added that the membership registration exercise is aimed at authenticating the party members across the State and this will be done at the polling unit level in all the 2195 polling units in the State.
“We have to be prepared for the task ahead of us. The registration process starts on February 5 which is aimed at authenticating members of the party. The INEC process will follow while stakeholders’ forum of INEC comes up on February 12. That will include manual voters’ registration, confirmation of names, distribution of permanent voters card, validation and continuous registration of new voters till campaign formally begins on 23 march. I was just urging members that we have to be alert, we have to be part of this process, we have to ensure that we monitor it well and we have to do everything within the constitution and electoral act to promote credible fair and free process”, he said.
The Governor had also urged intending aspirants for other political offices come 2015 to work for the growth of the party ahead of the guber poll, saying that the victory at the guber poll will motivate party members for the success of the 2015 elections.
Also speaking at the meeting, the chief host and National Vice Chairman of APC (South-West) and former Governor of the State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo urged the party members to troop out and participate in the registration exercise; saying that this is one of the ways to prepare for Fayemi’s victory in the forthcoming election.
Adebayo threw his weight behind Fayemi’s candidacy, saying that Ekiti will witness more transformations when Fayemi is returned.
The Director-General of the Fayemi campaign organization and member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bimbo Daramola had also described as myth the belief that a sitting governor cannot win re-election in the State; saying that Fayemi’s achievements are evident in all nooks and crannies of the State and these will speak for him at the election.
Daramola stated that Fayemi, aside Adebayo, is the only governor who finishes his 4-year term and so there is no jinx around re-election since his other predecessors never completed their terms let alone seeking re-election.
The meeting which was held at the country home of Adebayo was witnessed by a mammoth crowd of party faithful.
Last modified: February 3, 2014