Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has reacted to the release of
timetable for the State’s 2018 governorship election by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), calling on the
electoral umpire to conduct free, fair and credible poll that will be
commended by the international community just as the June 21, 2014
election was hailed by the government of the United States of America.
The governor, who said he needed no help from INEC or any agency of
the government for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
to win the election, urged INEC and federal government agencies not to
provide help for other contestants.
Governor Fayose’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New
Media, Lere Olayinka, quoted him as “calling on the international
community as well as local election observers to from now, take very
strong interest in the Ekiti 2018 governorship election and monitor
INEC as it begins the processes leading to the conduct of the
election.”
He said; “Concerning this election and others, INEC should be
honourable by ensuring free, fair and credible elections. This is
considering the fact that Ekiti is a State controlled by the
opposition and I am the number one opposition figure in Nigeria today.
“INEC should take note that we cannot all be in the same political
party and Nigeria cannot be one party state. The electoral commission
should therefore be fair to all concerned.
“As for me, I do not need INEC or agency of the government to help me
and the PDP candidate to win the election and INEC and federal
government agencies should not also provide help for other
contestants.”
The statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, read in part; “Yesterday,
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) picked July 14,
2018 for the Ekiti State Governorship election. We welcome the
announcement of the election timetable because even before INEC
released the timetable, we, in the PDP in Ekiti State have prepared
well enough for the election and are good to go anytime, any day.
“It is hopeful that INEC will not succumb to pressure from those who
may want to take Ekiti State by means other than free, fair and
transparent electoral process and truncate the rights of Ekiti people
to make their choice.
“To our teeming supporters, eternal vigilance is most required from
now till the end of the election.
“I am confident that Ekiti people will resist any plot to subvert
their collective wish because they have done it not once, not twice.
Most importantly, support of the people of Ekiti for me and the PDP
has never been in doubt.
“It is on this note that I call on the international community as well
as local election observers to from now, take very strong interest in
the Ekiti 2018 governorship election and monitor INEC as it begins the
processes leading to the conduct of the election.
“The international community must monitor INEC from now and see to it
that the electoral commission conducts a free, fair and credible
election so that the world can be assured of a hitch-free election in
2019.
“On our part as Ekiti people, we must pray persistently because with
prayers, all the plots against our collective wish as a people will
come to naught.”
