APC will sweep votes, win 26 seats in assembly election, says Oyebanji, Afuye

Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti on Saturday said that the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) would win all 26 seats in the State House of Assembly.

This is just as he decried the low turnout of voters during the election, describing it as disappointing.

Oyebanji, who spoke after casting his vote at his Ward 6 Unit 3 Okelele, Ikogosi-Ekiti country home, Ekiti, said that the turnout was not as impressive as was recorded during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

He, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its improvement in the conduct of the election

Also, Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, expressed confidence that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the 26 seats in State House of Assembly election.

Afuye, who spoke to newsmen shortly after casting her vote at 9:33a.m., at her Atiba /Aafin Ward 001, Akamija Unit 003, at Ikere Ekiti, said that her confidence derived from the peoples overwhelming support for the party in the state

Our correspondent reports that only the House of Assembly election is holding in Ekiti, as INEC had on June 18, 2022, conducted an off-season governorship poll, won by Gov. Biodun Oyebanji .

Mrs Afuye saluted the electoral body for quick deployment of voting materials in all the units in the election, describing this as a signal that Nigeria’s election, had substantially aligned with the international best practices.

She also saluted the security agencies for enforcing restriction of movement and providing water-forced security cover in all the polling units for the electorate to discharge their franchise rights.

Appraising the conduct of the election, Afuye, said prompt deployment of materials and personnel by INEC often encouraged participation in election.

She added that such patriotic spirit, also helped in surmounting the challenge of voter apathy widely recognised as an malaise crippling the system.

This is just as one of party’s State House of Assembly candidates for Oye Constituency(1), Mr Tope Longe, expressed disappointment at the low turnout of voters for the election.

Longe made the declaration in an interview in Oye-Ekiti on Saturday.

The candidate, lamented that there was indeed low turnout of residents for the exercise, adding that many eligible voters seemed not to be interested in the election, compared to the Presidential and National Assembly exercise.

He, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for making sure that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was functioning properly without any issue.

Longe also applauded INEC for ensuring free and fair process without any forms of malpractice and the security agencies for being neutral and professional in carrying out their duties.

”I want to say as a matter of facts that the electoral process has been awesome and peaceful.

“Nobody is fighting, there is no snatching of ballot boxes, the electoral process has improved positively compared to what Nigerians often experience in the past elections.

”Personally, I am a loving person who always embrace peace and my followers are peaceful and friendly people, who will never indulge in any electoral malpractices.

”The INEC staff members have been very active and transparent in discharging their duties at the various polling units.

“I want to equally commend the security agencies who have been patrolling the nook and cranny of Oye-Ekiti to maintain law and order,” he said.

He urged residents, especially youths, to be law abiding and obey all electoral rules and regulations during the poll.

Meanwhile, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti , Prof. Ayobami Salami, said that though low turnout of voters was recorded, votes of those that came out to exercise their franchise, would count.

He also assured the people of the state that the outcome of the state Assembly election results conducted would be acceptable to all.

The REC gave the assurance while monitoring the exercise in some parts of the state on Saturday.

Prof. Salami, who announced that Peoples’ votes would count, expressed the hope that turn out of voters would improve as the exercise continued.

Salami also gave assurance that the issue of over voting, as raised during the last Presidential and National Assembly elections, would not come up in the ongoing state assembly election.

The REC assured that everything had been put in place to prevent any unwanted occurrences, and charged the electoral officers at the polling units to always give preference to the elderly, and people living with disability.

Our correspondent further reports that the REC described the poll as generally peaceful and orderly, as security personnel were on ground to ensure law and order was maintained.