The Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ekiti State, Prof. Ayobami Salami, on Thursday, expressed the commission’s readiness for a peaceful and hitch-free conclusion of the inconclusive election in the Ido/Osi State Constituency 1 in the Ido/Osi Council area of Ekiti State.
Salami said, “The inconclusive election will be concluded on April 15. We only have three polling units in the constituency where the election will hold. That should not be too much of a challenge. We are prepared, we are ready to conduct the election on April 15.”
The REC, who spoke in Ado Ekiti while presenting Certificates of Return to 25 Ekiti State House of Assembly members-elect, said that the electoral body had been appealing to all the stakeholders in Ido/Osi Constituency 1 “to please cooperate with INEC and the security agencies so that we can have a successful conclusion of this process.
“I believe that we are going to get more support and more collaboration of all stakeholders. We need to work with the security agencies, we need to work with the political parties, we need to work with the civil society organizations and all stakeholders to ensure that we have a successful election in the place”.
Salami, who said that the conduct of the election to the State House of Assembly of Ekiti State on March 18 was very peaceful, said, “Thursday, we issued the certificates of return to 25 members-elect of the House of Assembly,” adding that poll to elect the 26th member would be completed on April 15.
A lawmaker-elect and Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Media and Publicity, Adeoye Aribasoye (All Progressives Congress, Ikole II), who appreciated his people for giving him a second term ticket to represent them again, said he would not let the state down.
Aribasoye said, “My coming back to the Assembly is now based on experience in the art of lawmaking, oversight, monitoring activities of government and projects in my constituency. We will work with the executive to ensure that Ekiti people are better for it.”
Also, a lawmaker elect, Babatunde Omotayo (Social Democratic Party, Ise/Orun), said, “I am not going to the House to form the opposition, rather, I am going there to defend the interest of my people. I will join hands with my colleagues to pass good laws and protect the interest of my people.”