TheCable

The Nigerian Human Rights Community (NIHRCO) has commended the people and government of Ekiti for a “peaceful” LG election.

On Saturday, the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) conducted elections in all the LGAs in the state.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) won all the 38 chairmanship and 177 councillorship seats.

In a statement on Tuesday signed by Fred Ojinika and Taiwo Adeleye, its programme officers, the NIHRCO said the election was devoid of violence and rigging while the outcome represents the free will of the voters.

The group also commended EKSIEC for early arrival of materials and effective administration of the entire process.

It also said there was no intimidation of voters and that financial inducement was not witnessed by observers.

“The Ekiti Local Government election is a confirmation that states can run their own affairs even better in many respect than the central government,” the statement reads.

“The security was excellent. The materials arrived on time while the voters were orderly and cultured.

“The Local Government election was not perfect, but it represented a remarkable achievement in building sustainable democratic culture in Nigeria.”

The coalition, however, said the turnout, though above national average, was not in line with global expectations.

It said monitors observed that opposition parties were non-challant towards the election, adding that those interviewed argued that the leading opposition parties did not show keen interest in the election, neither did they campaign during the run up to the vote.

It also said Ekiti needs more polling units given the growing population and the increasing number of new settlements observed during the election.

“The National Assembly and the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC needs to work with the State Independent Electoral Commission, SEIC to ensure that Bimodal Voters Accreditation System, (BVAS) are deployed in local elections,” the statement reads.

“We commend what appears to be the high moral ground of the Governor of the State, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji who earlier embarked on a non-violence campaign across the state, using the extensive media space ahead of the Local Government election.”