| Election outcome reflection of peoples’ will
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigerian police force and other security agencies, the good people of Ondo State, election observers, the media and the political parties which participated in the recently concluded Ondo State gubernatorial election of Saturday November 16 have been commended for the peaceful conduct of the election and the outcome which is a reflection of the will of the people as expressed at the polls.
The commendation was made on Wednesday in Akure, Ondo State through a press release issued by the Democracy and Good Government Watch Initiative, which is a coalition of civil society organizations that observed the election alongside others.
The coalition posited that the 2024 Ondo State gubernatorial election of Saturday 16th November 2024 was free, fair, peaceful and credible as the umpire overcame the usual teething problem of logistics by arriving early at most polling stations which ensured that accreditation and voting commenced at between 8.10-8.30am in over 99% of polling stations across the state. INEC was also lauded for ensuring that it’s deployment of materials was top notch as the BVAS machines functioned optimally in all the polling stations on election day.
The security agencies on their part were applauded for performing their duties professionally, unbiasedly and diligently by providing adequate security cover for election materials, INEC personnel and voters, this world class standard security deployment contributed largely to the successful and peaceful conduct of the election.
According to the Coalition “We congratulate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a free, fair and credible gubernatorial election in Ondo state. This is an improvement and it’s a welcome development. The distribution of both sensitive and non sensitive materials was top notch, the early arrival of electoral officers and materials on the day of election was perfect as many registered voters performed their civic duty within the allotted time”
The group led by Nelson Ekujumi, Gbenga Soloki, Popoola Ajayi, Rasak Oladosu and Razak Olokoba lauded the media and the local and international observer groups for their professionalism, neutrality and unbiased coverage, reportage and observation of the election which helped to deepen our democratic system.
The political parties, and candidates who participated in the election were also applauded and charged to imbibe the true spirit of sportsmanship in election by rallying round the declared winner Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to move the state forward.
The coalition however admonished parties candidates who lost and are dissatisfied with the conduct and outcome of the election to seek redress in court in line with democratic tenets.
Equally, the coalition of civil society organizations congratulated the Governor-Elect Mr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to see his resounding victory at the polls as a victory for the good people of Ondo State and urged him to dedicate his tenure to improving the lives and well-being of the people.