Ekiti LG by-election: PDP clears councillorship seats

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won all the seats in a by-election, conducted by the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC), on Saturday, to fill vacant posts in Irepodun/Ifelodun and Ikere local government areas of the state.

EKSIEC organised the election in Agbado/Oyo Ward 4 in Ikere Local Government and Igede Ward 3 in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government following the death of the councillors in the respective wards.

Results announced by EKSIEC, after the polls at Agbado/Oyo Ward, Ikere, showed that PDP’s Mrs. Rhoda-Chinedu Bakare polled 1,378 votes to defeat the candidates of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Accord and United People’s Party (UPP) who got 35, 30 and 11 votes respectively.

In the election at Igede Ward 3 in Irepodun/Ifelodun Council, PDP’s Mrs. Grace Ajayi was also declared winner with 1,491 votes as against the candidates of Accord, APGA and UPP, who scored 30, 28 and 13 votes respectively.

The executive secretary of EKSIEC, Mrs. Bolanle Awe, told newsmen that “the election conformed substantially with Schedule 4, Section 1(1) of Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2011,” and commended the people of the various wards for trooping out enmasse and maintaining orderliness during the voting exercise.

Awe said: “All political parties were duly informed through letters, advertorial and news. Only those who duly returned their forms participated in the election because it is the right of political parties.”

According to her, accreditation had begun at 8am in all the polling units while voting took place simultaneously.

Awe explained that “a level playing field was provided for all political parties in the election.”

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not participate in the election and had also failed to take part when the election into the 177 wards in the state and the 16 local governments were held about two years ago.