Ondo Guber poll: Akeredolu in early lead; Ondo South stakeholders comment on the electoral process.
– Steve Ovirih.
As keen watchers of the political development in Ondo State await the final say of the electoral umpire on Ondo Guber poll, the collated results so far shown that Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu is enjoying an early lead in the Guber contest.
The election which held on Saturday, the 10th October had been adjudged hitch free and peaceful according to the opinion of members of the public and Ondo State stakeholders who spoke with thepolity.net
Our reporters and crew who moved round polling units and wards both in Okitipupa Local Government and Ilaje Local Government Areas of Ondo State noted that the people gave Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a pass mark for their conduct and resolve to ensure an impeccable voting process.
At Unit 17, Igodan in Okitipupa Local Government Area, when our reporter arrived there, it was observed that the accreditation process was going on peacefully as the voters maintained peace on their queue. Personnel of the Nigerian Police were also on ground to ward off any security challenge. Speaking with an Ikale stakeholder at the unit, Engr. Ife Oyedele, Executive Director Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), said he was impressed with the large turnout of voters at Igodan. He said the Ad-hoc staff of INEC have also shown commitment
expressing confidence that none of the units at Igodan would experience any likelihood of electoral violence. ” Election or no election, all of us here at Igodan are closely knitted family members. That’s is why we can’t marry one another here.
” Yes, we may belong to different parties, that doesn’t blur the edge of our love for ourselves as we all share family ties, so there can’t be electoral violence here in Igodan,” Engr. Oyedele maintained. He added that the conduct of INEC will go a long way to strengthen the trust of the electorate in them.
At ward 2, Polling Unit 4, Ajagbale in Idepe – Okitipupa, the voting process started early enough. There was a huge turn out of the electorate as well. Equally, there was an adequate presence of security.
Princess Oladunni Odu, Chairperson Ondo SUBEB, a voter and community stakeholder who chatted with thepolity.net expressed confidence in the process.
She however condemned the attempt by some members of the opposition to constitute nuisance at the polling unit, commenting the effort of the Police to rein them in. Princess Odu charged the people to simply vote and not fight. She added that the essence of election is to strengthen the Democratic process and not to resolve to any underhand gesture that could impugn the electoral process.
At Ward 5, Polling unit 12, Apata / Akinsuroju, voting had started by the time the reporter arrived . Voters were seen lining up and ensuring their votes count.
Hon. Bada, Special Assistant to The Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Amb. Olusola Iji, who voted at the polling unit 12 gave both The Police and INEC pass marks. He said one thing he observed was that people showed enthusiasm and came out in large number to vote at the unit. On the conduct of INEC, Bada said, though the process has not ended , so far, their conduct has been satisfactory.
There was a massive turn out of voters at Ikoya/ Igbinsin Oloto ward.
Prof . Dayo Faduyile, Ondo State APC Chieftain who voted at Polling Unit 4, Ikoya/ Igbinsin Oloto appreciated the good conduct of the Ad-hoc staff of INEC. ” As you can see here, the voting process is going on smoothly without hiccups. Our people are alive to their civi responsibility and came out in good number to vote the candidate of their choice.
” There is no malfunctioning of card readers here and there won’t be any violence here in Ikoya.
” I can confidently tell you that Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria, ” Prof. Faduyile enthused.
Hon . Funmi Gbologe, SA Youth Mobilisation, Ondo South, who voted at Obolo unit 101, Ikoya told thepolity.net that the process has been peaceful and devoid of any traces of discrepancy or slant of violence. He said the greatest expectation of the people is for INEC to midwife a hitch free electoral process and the voters have cooperated with INEC towards this end.
Hon. Sehindemi Aduwo, former Vice Chairman , APC in Okitipupa Local Government met with thepolity.net at Ilutitun.
Hon Aduwo who voted at Ilutitun ward 1, Polling Unit 10, Abe Aba Odoka 10, said as far as Ilutitun is concerned , the electoral process has been very peaceful. ” You can see for yourself here that people are all out voting and maintaining the peace. ,” Aduwo said. Asked about likelihood of vote buying in his unit, the APC Chieftain said, such irregularity did not crop up in his unit. He said, ” these voters you are seeing here are too decent to be motivated by any kind of cheap inducement.”
Hon. Chris Ayebusiwa who also voted at Ilutitun described the election as free and fair. He said if at all anyone wanted to forment trouble, the heavy presence of the security will make him think twice.
At the upland coastal Ilaje community of Gbolomi in Mahin ward 4, members of APC, PDP and ZLP adjudged the election as acceptable to them so far. The voting process was still ongoing when thepolity crew arrived there. Chief Mrs. Taiwo Ayebo ,
former Deputy Chairman , APC , Ilaje Local Government said Gbolomi is known as a community where everyone cohabits in peace, thus chances of election violence is nil in the community. She noted that the people won’t see the election as a do or die affair, hence the peace at the polling unit.
Mr. Ben Awotula ,
Chair, PDP Leaders caucus Mahin ward 4 while chatting with thepolity.net noted that the voting process as it was on going was peaceful. He said his people at Gbolomi are too exposed to engage in election violence.
Mr. Omoyele Ajimisan,
also from ward 4 Mahin, who is a Zenith Labour Party stalwart gave INEC a commendation for the conduct of the voting exercise. Mr. Ajimisan, a senior Editor with The Tribune titles noted that regardless of Political party affiliation, the election can never breed rancor or violence in his community. Asked to comment on the troubling challenge of monetisation of votes, Mr. Ajimisan said he has not observed such at the Gbolomi polling unit.
In his own reaction, Member House of Representatives, Abuja, Hon. Victor Kolade Akinjo who was sighted at his polling unit at Itebu – Kunmi ,
said the election was peaceful. He charged INEC to maintain its integrity both at the polling unit and at the collation center. He said the mantra has been “vote and don’t fight,” adding that though temper is bound to rise, the whole essence of election as a tool of leadership change is lost when violence breaks out. He admonished his kit and kin at Itebu to allow the election process to run smoothly so that the outcome can be devoid of stain or doubt. Hon. Akinjo said so far, he has no issues with the conduct of the exercise.
Meanwhile, Chief Tawose
and Hon. Biyi Bill Poroye, both key political players at Mahintedo have commended the Saturday Poll as
acceptable.
Hon. Biyi Poroye who voted at Polling Unit 13, Mahin ward 4, described the election as hitch free, peaceful and acceptable. He equally commended the voters at Mahintedo who came out to vote regardless of the heavy rain. He said Nigeria’s electoral process is evolving and the process will continue to improve.
Hon. Tawose, Member of the Governing Council, University of Uyo was filled with excitement by the time thepolity.net arrived his Mahin polling unit 12. ” Well , I want to thank God for the success of the 2020 Governorship election in Ondo State. We voted here under the ambience of tranquility and I am happy to tell you that my party , APC, has carried the day at this polling unit 12, Mahin ward 4.
” The overwhelming majority of the electorate have voted for my party APC and as you can see APC had 221 votes , leading PDP which had 38 votes and ZLP that had 25 votes. The vote held peacefully here and as you can see the outcome is quite acceptable,” Chief Tawose enthused.
