Voter registration: Fayose’s N2,000 stipend causes stir in Ado Ekiti LG

THE continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced on Thursday witnessed a huge turnout in Ado Ekiti Local Government Area of the state and caused a stir at the commission’s office in the council area.

The turnout for the exercise was attributed to a promise by the state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, that he would give first time voters, especially those between the ages of 18-21, who turned out and register and present their voter cards, a monthly stipend of N2,000.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, at the flag-off of the exercise in Ado Ekiti, called on the INEC to look into the promise made by the governor, saying it was an attempt by the government to subvert the process.

The administrative secretary of INEC in the state, Dr Muslim Omoleke, after his address on the occasion, had called for comments on the exercise and the organising secretary of the APC in the state, Mr Kolade Amire, reacted to the governor’s announcement.

The APC chief also said the rumours included the contention that the governor had also planned to give the eligible voters a laptop each.

Amire, who described the governor’s promise as “financial inducement” said: “This financial inducement is dangerous and it was a desperate attempt to subvert the process. We heard that they were saying youths should come and collect N2,000 after registration. We want INEC to look into this and rise to the occasion.”

But the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, who countered the allegation, clarified that the governor never promised to give out laptops to the youths, saying the pledge he made was N2,000 monthly stipend to youths, who got registered in the CVR exercise.

Adelusi said: “The governor never said this in the media or through radio or

television announcements. He discussed the issue in one of the State Executive Council meetings. What Mr Governor wanted to do is to look after their welfare and shore up the number of registered voters in Ekiti, so that the electoral process can be improved upon.

“Governor Fayose is a man of the people. He won’t induce anybody and he never planned such.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of Ado Ekiti Local Government, Mr. Ayodeji

Ogunsakin, said the mobilisation being done by the state and local governments “should not be misconstrued to mean attempt to derail the electoral process.”

Ogunsakin said “our dear governor is a lover of peace and all he wanted is for all Ekiti indigenes to come out and get registered, so that the electoral process can be enhanced.”

The INEC administrative secretary said those that will be attended to in the ongoing process were those who had not registered in the past and those who wanted to do inter-state transfer.

“This exercise is not going to end in one, two three or four weeks, not even in a year to come. It is going to be a continuous exercise, so no cause for worry,” he said.

Some people suspected that the involvement of finance in the matter caused the large number of people at the INEC office, where they scampered to get registered with the belief that such will qualify them to get the benefit.