The Independent National Electoral
Commission has issued a notice of election for the July 14 governorship
election in Ekiti State.
Commission has issued a notice of election for the July 14 governorship
election in Ekiti State.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in
the state, Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Raji, at a press conference in Ado Ekiti
on Wednesday said this was in accordance with Section 30 (1) of the
Electoral Act 2010 as amended.
the state, Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Raji, at a press conference in Ado Ekiti
on Wednesday said this was in accordance with Section 30 (1) of the
Electoral Act 2010 as amended.
Raji explained that the section provided
that INEC must give a notice of election not later than 90 days to the
governorship election.
According to the notice, campaign by the parties for the election will begin on April 15 and end in the midnight of July 12.
He advised the parties to submit the
names of their agents by June 30, with a warning that any party that
failed to meet the deadline would not have agents for the election.
names of their agents by June 30, with a warning that any party that
failed to meet the deadline would not have agents for the election.
As part of efforts to ensure that more people register for the election, the REC said 531 registration centres had been created.
He noted that the continuous voter
registration in the new registration centres would run between Wednesday
April 11 and 16 simultaneously across 177 registration areas in the
state.
registration in the new registration centres would run between Wednesday
April 11 and 16 simultaneously across 177 registration areas in the
state.
According to him, the exercise became necessary in order to enhance more participation in the election.
Raji said, “I want to urge members of
the public who are yet to register and have attained the voting age to
come out and register as we are moving all these centres to them.
the public who are yet to register and have attained the voting age to
come out and register as we are moving all these centres to them.
“We want to remove all the bottlenecks
people have been complaining of which range from economic, to distance
and also some political reasons. We are bringing the registration to
their doorsteps.
people have been complaining of which range from economic, to distance
and also some political reasons. We are bringing the registration to
their doorsteps.
“And we are promising and assuring the
people that a few weeks after this exercise, the PVCs will be ready for
collection till the eve of the election and we expect the people to go
to our offices for their cards because no Permanent Voter Card, no
election.”
people that a few weeks after this exercise, the PVCs will be ready for
collection till the eve of the election and we expect the people to go
to our offices for their cards because no Permanent Voter Card, no
election.”
The REC added that 513,000 PVCs had been
distributed in the state, saying 218,000 cards had yet to be collected
for those who registered before April 2017.
distributed in the state, saying 218,000 cards had yet to be collected
for those who registered before April 2017.
Meanwhile, a member of the 7th House of
Representatives and a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All
Progressives Congress, Bamidele Faparusi, has said his main focus was
to make Ekiti State the food basket of the South-West, if elected the
governor.
Representatives and a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All
Progressives Congress, Bamidele Faparusi, has said his main focus was
to make Ekiti State the food basket of the South-West, if elected the
governor.
Faparusi promised to create 50,000 jobs through agriculture and building of cottage industries.
He said he would establish farm
settlements in the three senatorial districts to complement the one in
Orin Ekiti established by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo administration
in the defunct Western Region to employ the youths.
settlements in the three senatorial districts to complement the one in
Orin Ekiti established by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo administration
in the defunct Western Region to employ the youths.
Faparusi spoke while interacting with some party leaders who paid a solidarity visit to him in commemoration of the 2018 Easter.
He berated Governor Ayodele Fayose for relegating agriculture to the background in the state.
He said it was disheartening that Fayose
could fold his arms and allow Lagos State to enter into partnership
with Kebbi State in the production of LAKE Rice, saying it had shown
that the Ekiti State Government was bereft of ideas and modern exposure
on how to develop the economy.
could fold his arms and allow Lagos State to enter into partnership
with Kebbi State in the production of LAKE Rice, saying it had shown
that the Ekiti State Government was bereft of ideas and modern exposure
on how to develop the economy.
Faparusi said, “We thank God that the
South-West regional integration which is being largely driven by the APC
governors has opened Fayose’s eyes to rice production.
South-West regional integration which is being largely driven by the APC
governors has opened Fayose’s eyes to rice production.
“In their meeting in Lagos State last week, each state promised to donate 1,000 hectares of land to Lagos for rice production.
“Under normal circumstances, we expected
Ekiti to have keyed into this for long having realised the success
Lagos and Kebbi made in the production of LAKE Rice.
Ekiti to have keyed into this for long having realised the success
Lagos and Kebbi made in the production of LAKE Rice.
“Ekiti is lucky in this regard because we already have a brand called Igbemo Rice,
all we need to do is to rebrand the package through mass production.
This will have a multiplier effect on our economy by producing jobs for
our youths, increasing the state GDP which will in turn increase our
internal revenue and wean the state from sole reliance on federal
allocation for survival.”
all we need to do is to rebrand the package through mass production.
This will have a multiplier effect on our economy by producing jobs for
our youths, increasing the state GDP which will in turn increase our
internal revenue and wean the state from sole reliance on federal
allocation for survival.”
Stating his plans for agriculture, Faparusi said he would establish egg village which would contain two feed mills and poultry.
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