PDP, APC battle for votes as Ekiti people decide who will be the next state governor
One side is crying for continuity while another side wants to reclaim the land. Then, there is another side crying for freshness.
PDP’s Kolapo Olusola, the current deputy governor of the state is the one agitating for continuity; he wants to succeed his boss, Governor Ayodele Fayose.
In the past few months, he has campaigned with what the current PDP government has done and how he would like to consolidate if elected.
APC’s Kayode Fayemi , a one-time governor of the state, is on the mission to reclaim the land.
He has also campaigned with the list of things he did between 2010 and 2014 and highlighted how his return will revive most of his policies which the current government has trashed.
The third side belongs to the SDP’s Akinloye Ayegbusi and the rest of the candidates who believe it’s time to experiment with fresh ideas, different from that of the PDP and the APC.
Who will Ekiti people give the mandate to become the next state governor among these candidates? Is it going to be Olusola? Fayemi? Or a new fresh face?
Legit.ng is on ground, live and direct from Ekiti state, to bring you insightful live updates as Ekiti people troop out to cast their votes for their preferred candidates today, Saturday, July 14, 2018.
For the record, the total number of votes to be shared among the candidates is 667,028 as Professor Abdulganiy Olayinka Raji, the Ekiti state Resident Electoral Commission, has revealed that only 667,028 individuals are eligible to vote in the governorship election.
5.09 pm: Supporters of Governor Ayo Fayose reject monetary inducements; declare their votes to the PDP
2:50 pm: Counting of votes ongoing at Ado-Ekiti, the state capital
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2. 46 pm: Counting of votes ongoing at Afao, Fayose's hometown. Results expected soon.
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2. 35 pm: Hundreds of voters still waiting in the sun to vote in Eleka's unit.
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2. 32 pm: JUST IN: About 20 trucks fully loaded with soldiers sighted in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
One of the officers reportedly said the patrol is just a normal routine to restore law and order while sorting and counting is ongoing.
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2.32 pm: Sorting and counting now ongoing in Units 2 & 4 Ward 6, Okeyinmi in Ado Ekiti.
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On the side observation: Ward 11, Unit 003, Ogotun, Ekiti Southwest LG, police officer expected to watch over ballot box is caught sleeping on duty while voting exercise is still on.
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1.35 pm: Fayose finally votes
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1.23 pm: Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, arrives to vote at Afao
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12.32 pm: Ward C Olarenwaju, unit 6, a man captured in sharing money.
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12.25 pm: There is an alleged disruption at Emure EKiti
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12.20 pm: According to INEC, election proceedings at Ilejemeje LGA are unfolding peacefully. Smart Card Readers at full throttle.
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11.30 am: Chief Bisi Omoyeni, former deputy governor of Ekiti and gubernatorial candidate of Mega Party casts his vote.
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On the side observation: Pictured below is a 130-year-old woman who came to vote at Isan, Fayemi's town but she did not come with her voters card, instead she came with her national ID card. Her name is Ibiteye Comfort Bodunde.
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10.55 am: Fayemi casts his vote as INEC's card reader still fails to read his major contender, Eleka's PVC.
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10.50 am: Voters struggling to cast their votes as policemen try to control the crowd
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10.29 am: Turnout impressive at Ward 9, Unit 20 & 21, Salaudeen Nursery & Primary school, Opopogboro (Adebayo), Ado- Ekiti.
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10.30 am: Voting has started in most of the polling units but the PDP candidate is still having problem with the card reader at his polling unit in Ikere.
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10.26 am: The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Kayode Fayemi, arrives the polling unit in Isan area of Ekiti to do his accreditation and cast his vote to the admiration of the crowd there.
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10.am: Olusola Kolapo, the governorship candidate of the PDP may not be able to vote as the INEC's card reader has failed to read his Permanent Voters Card (PVC). However, other voters in the polling unit do not have problem with the card readers.
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9: 30: As at this time, things are going on smoothly in Ekiti state. People are trooping out to vote while security agents are on guard to ensure there is no violence.
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9: 19 am: Olusola Kolapo, popularly known as Eleka, the governorship candidate of the PDP has arrived the polling unit, Ward 2, Unit 7, Ikere Ekiti.
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8. 40: Our reporter can confirm that verification is ongoing in all the units in Ikere Ekiti. There is equally a massive turn out in Ward 4 Agbado Oyo, polling unit 3.
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8. 15 am: Residents in Ward 9 of Ayede-Ekiti displaying their PVCs ahead of the commencement of accreditation on Saturday morning.
Accreditation has commenced at the ward already.
Voting is expected to start almost immediately after accreditation.
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8. 05 am: There is a massive turnout of voters in Ikere Ekiti, Eleka's home town.
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7.45 am: INEC officials have arrived. Voters have instructed to be on queue as INEC officials want to address them at Eleka's polling unit (Ward 2, Unit 7)
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Saturday, July 14: 7.am: The election day. INEC has promised that the election activities will kick-off at 8. am this morning. However, voters are already seen trooping to various polling units, ready to excersise their franchise.
At Eleka's polling unit, Ward 2, Okeruku, Ikere, voters are already on ground as early as 7 am, our reporter can confirm.
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Pre-election day recap
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Friday, July 13: INEC distributed sensitive election materials to all the 16 local government areas of the state.
The election materials, it was gathered, were earlier received by the electoral body at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Security agents have also been dispatched accordingly to ensure the election is violence-free.
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Thursday, July 12: The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) kick-started its pre-election day activities.
It was a watertight security arrangement at the state headquarters of the electoral body in Ado-Ekiti as INEC officers started distributing election kits to various observers who are on ground to observe and assess the much talked about gubernatorial election.
Ekiti 2018: Residents reveal who will win the governorship election| Legit.ng TV
Source: Legit.ng
Kess Ewubare Kess Ewubare is a former senior political/current affairs editor at Legit.ng. He has a diploma in-law in addition to a BSc and a master’s degree in mass communication. Kess is a journalist with over 10 years of working experience in several fields of journalism ranging from radio presenting, television news reporting, newspaper reporter, feature and magazine writing as well as online and multi-media journalism.
Aanu Adegun Aanu Adegun is a journalist with over 9 years of experience in both digital and traditional media. A graduate of English Studies from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state. Aanu joined Legit.ng in 2016 covering politics and current affairs. Aanu started his journalism career as a features writer. He once anchored some specialised pages of a national newspaper. You can reach him via - aanu.adegun@corp.legit.ng
