Alaafin, Alao-Akala, Folarin Commends INEC Over Peaceful Polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been commended by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi,  over the peaceful conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Adeyemi, who had cast his vote at Ward 1 Unit 8 Oke Afin Polling Unit in Atiba Local Government of Oyo State at about 10.00am, said that the turnout of the electorate was impressive. His son, Mr Akeem Adeyemi, who is contesting the Atiba, Afijio and Oyo East and Oyo West Federal Constituency seat, also commended INEC for the smooth conduct of the elections.

The APC candidate said that in less than 10 minutes, he was accredited and had cast his vote. He also confirmed the presence of security operatives and election observers at the polling unit.

The younger Adeyemi said that the election in Oyo had progressed peacefully and commended the electorate for trooping out to exercise their civic right.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reports that there was impressive turnout of voters in Ogbomoso. NAN also reports that a former governor of the state, Adebayo-Alao, voted at his Ward 10 Unit 13 Polling Centre in Ogbomoso North Local Government at about 8.45 am.

Alao-Akala commended INEC for the early arrival of materials, saying the process had gone smoothly.

He, however, called on INEC to ensure fairness in order to ensure a credible process.

Also at Ward 5, Unit 2, Idi Ose, Ona -Ara Local Government, Sen. Teslim Folarin, contesting for the Oyo Central Senatorial seat on the platform of APC, arrived with his wife, Angela, and both cast their votes at 10:46am.

Folarin commended the adoption of simultaneous process of accreditation and voting by INEC and described the turnout in the area as impressive.

He, however, decried the hitches in the use of card readers by the electorate in some polling units.

“The electoral process is good, but the card reader should be improved upon. It didn’t detect my finger print and that of my wife immediately.

“I’m sure INEC will take note of that.

“The security situation is also good from what I see, I’m optimistic that I will win and more optimistic that our presidential APC candidate will also win,” he said.

Chief Lukmon Oyebisi Ilaka, the PDP candidate for the Oyo Central Senatorial District , cast his vote at Ward 2, Unit 3, Ope Arinago, Apinni, at 9: 33am at Ilaka area of Oyo town.

Ilaka said the election had gone well and no violence was recorded while turnout was impressive.

“It has been orderly with voters being accredited and casting their votes; I hope it ends in the same manner.

“This registration area is a homestead where families ,brothers and sisters gather to vote, though they might belong to different parties. We all want the same thing, we want progress.

”On the part of the electorate, election day is our day of destiny, it is an event that happens once in four years to attest to whether the country is making progress or not,’’ he said.

He appealed to the electorate not to engage in violence during the elections and patiently await the outcome of the polls.