ABUJA – The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, on Sunday congratulated the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election, Mr Ayodele Fayose, over his victory.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Uche Anichukwu, Special Adviser (Media) to the Deputy President of the Senate, in Abuja.
The statement stated that the free and fair electoral processes that threw up the winner were vital for the growth of democracy in the country.
It stated that it was an important win for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West.
It commended all the parties that ensured that the election was peaceful, free, fair, and credible.
The statement also extolled the incumbent Governor, Kayode Fayemi, for his efforts at developing Ekiti State for almost four years that he held sway.
It called on Fayemi, other candidates and people of the state to unite with the winner, to move the state forward.
It also enjoined Mr Fayose to justify the confidence reposed in him by his people.
Similarly, the Youth Alliance on Constitution and Electoral Reform (YACORE), an NGO, has commended INEC for conducting a “free, fair and credible governorship election in Ekiti State”.
The National Coordinator of the NGO, Mr Samson Itodo, gave the commendation in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
Itodo said that the results announced by INEC reflected the vote cast at the various polling units, adding that the election had raised the integrity of the commission.
He said that YACORE independently collected and collated official results from polling units and arrived at the same results as INEC.
“ This will improve public confidence in the ability of the commission to conduct peaceful and transparent elections in 2015,” Itodo said.
According to him, during the election, INEC provided level playing ground to all political parties and contestants to ensure justice and fair play.
Itodo said: “Unlike in the previous elections monitored by our team of observers, INEC has ensured timely deployment of electoral materials and personnel in most polling units in the state.’’
He said that the election provided most people of the state, the opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights and commended efforts of security agencies in maintaining law and order.
The activist advised INEC to step up its voter education as well as strengthen its partnership with civil society organisations to enhance its efficiency. (NAN)
