By Precious Ireoluwa
The Chairman, Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC), Justice Cornelius Ilori Akintayo has declared the readiness of the commission to conduct a free and fair local government election.
Speaking at a Stakeholders’ Meeting on Tuesday, in Ado-Ekiti, Akintayo reiterated the importance of the stakeholders towards the conduct of successful elections.
He charged the political parties to maintain law and order while calling on the electoral officers and security agencies to be impartial and observe neutrality.
His words: “Your positive contributions and roles in the previous elections have not gone unnoticed. I acknowledge your unalloyed support and commitment towards the conduct of successful elections in the past.
“As stakeholders, it is essential and of utmost importance that we work together with a robust synergy for the success of the election. All hands must be on deck as stakeholders to midwife the forthcoming election to a successful, logical and impressive conclusion.
“It is therefore imperative for us to conduct a free and fair election devoid of violence, thuggery and acts capable of portraying us in bad light.
“To this end, this commission is prepared to embark on aggressive political enlightenment all over the nooks and crannies of the state in order to achieve a peaceful election come 2nd of December 2023.
“We remain focused on conducting a free and fair election which will provide a level ground for all the citizens and political parties with utmost transparency.
“I solicit and charge you all to ensure that the state is properly secured before, during and after the election. The political officers should maintain and observe neutrality and impartiality.”
On his part, the Special Adviser on Security to the state governor, Brigadier-General Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd) said that the security agencies have been equipped to discharge their duties dispassionately devoid of rancour and acrimony.
According to him; “It is a good step. We have an assignment ahead of us. The political environment is that people must do the right thing. Security is the responsibility of everybody.
“Our security agencies have gone through seminars and understand their roles in election matters. We want to assure the political parties and stakeholders that the security agencies will be up and doing to have a hitch-free elections.”
The event witnessed various stakeholders including the security agencies, religious leaders, National Orientation Agency, representatives of ethnic groups, representatives of the political parties and government functionaries.
The political parties commended the commission for being unbiased in their activities while admonishing them to deliver the duties expected of them on the election day.
The security agencies promised to provide adequate security before, during and after the election while urging the electorate to report any suspicious activity that will undermine the peaceful conduct of the poll.
The December 2nd 2023 local government election in the state will be conducted across the 16 LGAs and 22 LCDAs for chairmanship and councilorship positions.