Observers rate Ekiti LG elections free, fair

The Coalition of Civil Society Domestic Election Observer Groups has described the Saturday’s local government elections in Ekiti as free and fair.

The coalition’s team leader, Mr Muhammad Al-Jameel Hashidu, told newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Monday that voting materials arrived in the 2,195 polling units promptly.

He said further that voting and collation were done without harassment and intimidation, attesting to the credibility of the poll.

The group noted that the election witnessed high turnout of voters in major cities in contrast to what were witnessed at the grassroots, hinging this on low level of sensitisation at the remote centres.

The coalition called for more voter education and advocacy at the grassroots and proper funding of the state electoral commission to conduct better future elections.

The National Coordinator of Network of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria , Mr Victor Kalu, said the neutrality maintained by government and security agencies reinforced the acceptability of the poll.

“We emphasise the contributions of the Ekiti Police Command in posting officers to every nook and cranny of the state during the exercise,” he said.

The local government elections took place in Ekiti on Saturday with the All Progressives Congress winning all the 16 chairmanship and 177 councilorship seats.