TheCable

Hundreds of thousands of voters in Ekiti State will troop out on Saturday, June 21, 2014, to elect the next chief executive of the state for the next four years. Below, in figures, are some interesting facts about the election.

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The number of candidates believed to be truly in the running for the post, although there are 15 others. These three are the incumbent governor, Kayode Fayemi, APC (pictured); former governor, Ayodele Fayose (PDP); and erstwhile APC stalwart, Opeyemi Bamidele.

Regardless of the state where an election is holding, the incumbent is always the likeliest winner — in Nigeria at least. And with Kayode Fayemi and Ekiti State, there is little to prove that APC’s stranglehold on the southwest is not set to continue.

Since his unceremonious impeachment in 2006 after three years as governor, Ayodele Fayose has made little secret of his intention to return to the state’s seat of government. Believed to enjoy enormous grassroots popularity, Fayose has been heralded as the one man capable of pulling off the rarely-seen feat of upstaging an incumbent governor.

Finally, of the three favourites for victory tomorrow, there is a dark horse — the man who will be looking to re-enact the Olusegun Mimiko Ondo scenario in Ekiti: jettisoning his political party for a less-popular party yet managing to win the election. Once a political ally of Governor Fayemi, Opeyemi Bamidele has since chosen governorship over friendship. But will the electorate choose him as well? The next 48 hours will decide.

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Voting will hold across 16 local government areas in the state. These are: Ado-Ekiti, Efon, Ekiti East, Ekiti South-West, Ekiti West, Emure, Gbonyin, Ido-Osi, Ijero and Ikere, Ikole, Ilejemeje, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ise/Orun, Moba and Oye Local Governments.

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The number of registered political parties that have nominated candidates for the election. These parties are Accord Party, Action Alliance (AA), Alliance Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), African Democratic Congress (ADC), African Peoples Alliance (APA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Citizens Popular Party, Kowa Party, Labour Party (LP) and National Conscience Party (NCP).

Others are Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP), People for Democratic Change (PDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and United Democratic Party (UDP).

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Although the governorship elections is widely believed to be a three-horse race between Fayemi, Fayose and Opeyemi, there are 15 other aspirants for the post.

These are Vincent Bankole Ajayi (Accord), Opeyemi Folayemi Akinyemi, Osekita Oluseyi Victor (AD), Peter Adekola Bamigbade (ACPN), Oroko Bola (ADC), Musa Adebayo Ayeni, (APA), Ayodele Samson Olayinka (CPP), Ogunkolade Adewunmi Joseph     (Kowa), Ajibola Joseph Akinwale (MPPP) and Ilesanmi Bankole Emmanuel (NCP).

Others are Prince Banjo Gboyega (PDC), Animashaun Goke (PPA), Gbenga Adekunle (PPN), Adekola Adeleke Ayo (SDP) and Adeniji Akinropo Philip (UDP).

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The number of domestic and international observer organisations accredited for the governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

These are Centre for Civic Education (aka Transition Monitoring Group, TMG), Justice and Equity Organisation, NEPAD Nigeria, Reclaim Naija, Centre for Democracy and Development, Centre for Peacebuilding and Socio-Economic Resources Development, Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room (Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre),    Nigerian Bar Association Election Working Group, National Association for Peaceful Election in Nigeria, Independent Election Monitoring Group, Rights Monitoring Group, Election Monitor, Police Service Commission, CLEEN Foundation, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolutions, Research Initiative for Sustainable Development and Gender Awareness (RISDGA) and Justice Development and Peace Commission.

Others are Forum of State Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (FOSIECON),         Women Arise for Change Initiative, EU Delegation – Abuja, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), United States Mission to Nigeria, High Commission of Canada, British High Commission, UNDP/DGD – Abuja, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Embassy of Switzerland, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and Embassy of France.

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The percentage of registered female voters. Women, with 371,419 registered voters are ahead of men (360, 747), who constitute 49 per cent of registered voters.

732,166

The total of registered voters expected to participate at Saturday’s election.

At Ado Ekiti Local Government, 134,141 people are expected to vote across 13 wards, 207 polling units and 455 voting points. At Efon LG, 22,845 voters are expected to be involved across 10 wards, 119 polling units and 119 voting points.

At Ekiti East, there will be 47,293 voters across 12 wards, 95 polling units and 163 voting points; while at Ekiti West, there will be 40,856 voters across 11 wards, 184 polling units and 186 voting points.

At Ekiti South-West LG, there will be 42,285 voters across 11 wards, 188 polling units and 191 voting points; meanwhile, at Emure LG, there will be 27,091 voters across 10 wards, 93 polling units and 101 voting points.

Gbonyin LG features 42, 267 voters across 10 wards, 103 polling units and 148 voting points, while the figures for Ido/Osi LG are 43, 070; 11;139 and 160 respectively.

See full table below: