By Akin Ogunmola
About 48 hours to Saturday’s Local Government & Local Council Development Areas Election in Ekiti State, election materials have been distributed by the election umpire – Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC).
The distribution which took place in Ado Ekiti at the premises of EKSIEC was witnessed by the leadership of the political parties participating in the election, election observers and security agents.
Speaking at the occasion, EKSIEC Chairman, Justice Cornelius Akintayo said the materials included both sensitive and non-sensitive and were being despatched early to ensure timely arrival at all nooks and crannies of the state.
He explained that the materials have been customised in the names of each of the 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and the 22 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the state.
One of the leaders of the political parties who witnessed the distribution, IPAC PRO, Chief Eponlolaye Olufemi, commended the exercise and urged EKSIEC not to renege on its promise of a level playing field to all parties on election day.
Eponlolaye who doubles as the Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC) noted that his party would pull a surprise at the election.
The EKSIEC Chairman thereafter conducted the stakeholders round the election materials for them to see that they have not been tampered with.
Justice Akintayo also welcomed a contingent of Mobile Police Squad that arrived at the commission’s premises as part of the security agents to maintain law and order during Saturday’s election.
Meanwhile, the sensitive and non-sensitive materials have started to move to the various Council and LCDA headquarters via commercial vehicles and each of the vehicles went with armed police escort.
