The Ekiti State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has praised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for maintaining substantial neutrality in last week’s gubernatorial election in Edo state, urging the commission to replicate same in the November 26 governorship poll in Ondo State.
It also commended the electoral body over the way it settled the logjam created by the presentation of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the Edo governorship election.
The Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi factions of the party had presented two different candidates for the election, which was eventually won by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Godwin Obaseki. INEC had discretionally recognized Ize-Iyamu, who was put forward by the Makarfi group.
Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, the IPAC chairman in Ekiti, Dr Dele Ekunola, said INEC has done the country proud by conducting a credible election that complied substantially with provisions of the Electoral Act.
On the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party, which polarized the body into two, Ekunola clarified that the feuding groups had fused into one after reconciliation, which he said led to the
election of new executives recently in the state. Those elected were: Dr Ekunola as Chairman, Hon Ilesanmi Omolayo(Vice Chairman), mallam Jimoh Saheed (Secretary), Fred Iyaniwura(Publicity Secretary), Chief Moses Awogbemi(Financial Secretary), Rufus Alabi(Treasurer) and Ileanmi Josiah(Assistant Secretary).
Ekunola particularly expressed satisfaction with INEC’s disposition to neutrality, which he said made the opposition PDP to be able to give the ruling party, APC, a run for its money in the highly pulsating and keenly contested election. “When the election was postponed from September 10 to October 28, I felt the INEC only postponed the evil day. But it gladdens my heart that nobody died during the election. No bloodshed, no arson attack and even the protest that was held by the PDP against the election were peaceful.
“INEC even settled the PDP confusing candidature with ease. We all the existing political parties in the state are pleased with INEC neutrality.
“All these showed that democracy has taken a deep root in Nigeria and we appeal to INEC to repeat the same feat in Ondo State,” he said.
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