By Enyichukwu Enemanna
There were minor hitches on Saturday as the ongoing electioneering exercise in Ekiti to produce the next Governor of the state, as electorates in Ikere-Ekiti area decried the non-inclusion of stamp pads in the election materials supplied to the town.
They are alleging that the process has been compromised.
They expressed their displeasure while interacting with newsmen at the ongoing exercise.
One of them, a senior citizen believed to be in her 80s, vowed to wait until the stamp pad was produced, saying that she could not afford to be disenfranchised.
“This is my civic responsibility and that am still alive to witness this, I must cast my vote.
“This is another dimension in my 85 year in life; I have voted more than 12 times and never witnessed this situation.
“But, no matter how long it takes INEC to produce the stamp pads, I will continue to wait,” Elizabeth said.
Another voter who simply gave his name as Alabi, expressed his displeasure with the situation, saying there was no stamp pads in the materials given to them three days before the election.
Mr Ade Asimolowo, another electorate, noted that peaceful election was possible, if all involved in the electoral process could abide by the guiding rules.
Commenting, Dr Wole Oluyede, the Governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), complained that the election had been compromised following non-inclusion of vitals items in the election materials dispatched to the town.
As at 10:15 a.m, at Ugele Arokun Ward 3 Unit 6 in Ikere-Ekiti, where the ADC candidate was expected to vote, ballot stamp pads were missing in the voting materials dispatched to the polling unit.
A Presiding Officer, Mr Festus More, said that all the items were completed when he checked through, but could not explain how the stamps were removed.
“I was set for the voting as all the necessary preparation and protocols have been done. In fact, I have given out a ballot paper to the first voter, only to discover that the stamps were missing,” More said.
He, however, assured the electorate that arrangement had been made to get stamps so that voting could commence in earnest.
