The Ekiti State governorship election holds today June 21. The election was conducted in the 16 local government areas of the state.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, 18 political parties are fielding candidates in the election.
Analysts say the election is basically between the candidates of three parties – the incumbent governor, Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress, [APC], a former governor of the state, Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party, [PDP], and a member of the House of Representatives, Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party, [LP].
About 732,106 voters are expected to vote in the election. The gender distribution shows that females are 371, 419 (51%) and males 360, 747 (49%).
There are 2,195 polling units, [PUs], and 2, 803 voting points, [VPs] in the South-west state.
Ekiti State has three senatorial districts, six federal constituencies, and 177 registration areas spreading across the 16 LGAs.
Among the councils, Ado-Ekiti, which is the state capital, has the largest number of voters with 134,141, 297 polling units and 455 voting points while Ilejemeje has the least number of registered voters with only 11,796 and 91 polling units and 91 voting points.
Live updates after cut......
Live updates
20.54
Armed with a sheet of paper, torch lights and guns in a dark street, police officers created a roadblock about 500 metres from the collation centre where journalists and others whose names are not in their sheet are turned back. The intervention of Taiwo Gbadegeshin, INEC PRO coyld not salvage the situation as he too was sent back to his office by the police officers. When our reporter called him to ask why could convince the police to allow journalists in, he retorted angrily that he had to leave because he didn't want to be embarrassed by the policemen and hung up. Meanwhile, a little down the dark road (the street lights are off), a couple of young men are pulling off Kayode Fayemi's posters hoisted on streetlights.
20.17
Police officers at the INEC office are turning back journalists, whose organisations do not appear in a list of about 15 media houses written on a sheet of paper, from the collation centre at the INEC head office in Ado Ekiti. Even the intervention of INEC public relation officer could not convince them as the police officers said they got their list from a higher authority. Premium Times reporter is one those turned away by the police officers.
19.22
Celebrations still going on in Ado Ekiti as the shouts of "Power!" "Power!" revebrate everywhere.
18.22
Vote count ongoing in some PU's in Ado-Ekiti although supporters of PDP's Fayose already jubilating.
17.36
17.32
PDP supporters celebrate percieved victory in Ado-Ekiti.
16.54
In Ward 10, Better Life Area, Basiri, Ado Ekiti, Fayose has won with 400 votes, APC 121, LP 23, Accord 3. There are 1045 registered voterrs but 566 voted. Voters including old women jubilate as INEC staff round off their assignment. Some young people jubilating beg this reporter to interview them.
16.53
APC: 43, PDP: 40, LP: 72, PDC: 1, APA: 1, void: 1 in PU010, IyinII, Irepodun/IfelodunLG.
16.49
APC: 49, PDP: 212, LP: 18, APA: 1, PPA: 1, voiled: 3 in PU007, Ode Ode Are Ekiti.
16.38
APC: 64, PDP: 91, LP: 18, AC in PU05, Ilawe Ward 7, ESW LG.
16.37
At Ward 4 in Ajilosun area counting in progress in one of the voting points. The result of the point is APC 79, PDP, LP 6. Voters waiting anxiously to hear the remaining result with some holding pen and papers jotting down the result. After counting, an old woman asked our reporter to write Fayose's result on her palm.
16.34
Health Centre Ikere Ekiti point 1 ( Ward 10 Unit 7) APC: 81, PDP 270, LP 6. Health Centre Ikere Ekiti Point 2 ( Ward 10 Unit 8) APC 81, PDP 252, LP 18
16.34
Health Centre Ikere Ekiti point 1 ( Ward 10 Unit 7) APC: 81, PDP 270, LP 6. Health Centre Ikere Ekiti Point 2 ( Ward 10 Unit 8) APC 81, PDP 252, LP 18
16.19
@CDDWestAfrica: #CDDEEOM #Ekitidecides APC: 42, PDP: 4, LP: 6, NCP: 1, in PU002, Ward 11, Efon LG
16.15
Counting is in progress at Ward 10 St Thomas Irona. Ado. PDP is also leading here. There are 710 registered voters and 310 accredited.
16.02
Resident of Ado have trooped out to the street jubilating over Fayose's victory in some polling. They are here on Funmi Olayinka Avenue and other streets.
15.50
Ward 05 Unit 11 Okeyemi in Ado, counting concluded. PDP 162, LP 8, APC 57, ACP 1, AD 1
15.34
Vote counting about to commence at Health Centre unit 2 Afao, Ikere Ekiti.
15.21
Counting ends in PU001 Iworoko 009, Irepodun/Ifelodun LG. APC: 19, PDP: 78, LP: 10.
15.21
197 people voted & 224 unused in Osan ward, PU008, Moba LG.
15.19
At Ward 008 in Okeyemi area of Ado, there are two voting points. One of the points has concluded voting and counting is in progress with anxious voters watching.
15.10
At Ward 009 in Ijoko area, 226 out of 500 registered voters have voted. More voters are still being expected according to INEC officials.
15.03
Voting ends 2.35 p.m. at PU008, Odole ward, Ekiti South West LG .
15.01
At Jonathan Memorial Pry school, voting is still ongoing at all eight points.
14.59
At Ward 05 in Ijigbo area of Ado-Ekiti, voting is in progress. 225 voters out of 586 registered voters have voted.
14.54
Voting concluded at Health Centre Unit 1 and 2 Ikere. Voters have stayed back at the polling units, waiting for counting to commence.
14.45
Voting finished at St. Mary sch PU010, Oloja, at 2.30pm. Voting ended at 2.36 p.m. @ PU001, Iworoko 09, Iropedun/Ifelodun LG.
14.32
PDP candidate Ayo Fayose just voted at Afao ward Unit 001 as voting winds up in the town.
13.42
Julius Toba Jegede, Media aide of Labour Pary candidate, Opeyemi Bamidele, told Premium Times that the rumour that Mr Bamidele has stepped down from the election is completely false and should be disregarded by his supporters. He said Mr Bamidele voted around 1pm and will be addressing the media soon.
13.28
Heavily armed security men arrive Fayose's town, Afao, in large numbers. But voting in Afao has been peaceful with voters conducting themselves in orderly manner.
13.27
55 out of 56 accredited voters queue to vote @Aafin Orun PU002 ward 10, Ise/Orun LG.
13.25
Jadesola Ajibola of Inspiration FM, Oyetunji Ojo of OSBC, Akin Ogunsola of OSBC and Aremu Awolola of OSBC were arrested at Ifaki Ekiti by over 50 mobile policemen led by the Mopol Commander, Patrick. They are being escorted to the boundry of Ekiti and Osun state. The mopol commander said the journalists had no business in Ekiti.
12.50
Voting has commenced in all polling units in Afao.
12.50
INEC officials counting voters at Afao ward unit 001 and 002
12.47
Voting begins in Ekiti. At a polling unit in front of Delight Hotel along Ilawe Road, Ado Ekiti, the queue is in order as the voters wait anxioisly to vote.
12.39
Three persons were arrested in PU008, 013,014, Ijigbo ward 4 for distributing money.
12.28
Voters in unit 1 Afao(Ayo Fayose's Unit) are set to commence voting proper.
12.24
281 voters accredited @PU004, ward 09, Gbonyin LG. They are ready for voting proper.
12.20
None of the 18 governorship candidates is a woman, and only 6 deputy governorship candidates are women.
12.12
Ado-Ekiti ( the state capital) has the highest number of registered voters:134,141. Next is Irepodun/Ifelodun LG: 54,430. #Ekitidecides.
11.59
Fact: Ekiti has 16 local governments, 177 wards, 2,195 polling units, and 732,166 registered voters. #Ekitidecides.
11.51
Fact: 51 per cent of Ekiti's 732,166 registered voters are females.
11.50
Security forces complained of poor treatment that they had to sleep in primary schools in Oye LG.
11.48
Accreditation has been concluded in some centres. Voting will soon commence.
11.35
To win #Ekitidecides, a candidate must have simple majority votes and at least 25% votes in 2/3 of 16 local governments (approximately 11 local governments).
11.24
There is ongoing fierce argument on a supposed polling unit in Oyamokore farmstead in Erijiyan LGA. Some claim nobody lives there any longer. Some claim they always vote here.
11.23
In Ekiti South West LG, Ilawe ward, PU007, 011,010 have 292, 369 &182 registered voters respectively
10.58
Only voters with permanent voters cards will be allowed to vote, INEC says. AIT quotes INEC as saying over 400,000 registered voters collected their permanent cards.
10.57
#Ekitidecides, Number of registered voters @PU008, Iyin 2 ward is 231.
10.50
In most of the polling units visited, only LP, APC and PDP agents are found. Accord Party seem to be missing except at the polling unit in Ward 3, Unit 13, Olokomeji, Ado Ekiti.
10.46
Niyi Adebayo, Former Governor of Ekiti State, has put the total turnout of voters in his constituency, Iyin, at 70 percent. He also said that the supply of material has been very satisfactory. He said the process of accreditation cannot be used to judge the election process until voting proper starts.
10.40
At the polling unit in Jonathan Memorial Pry School, Ajilosun Ado-Ekiti, the process is orderly.
10.38
At the polling unit in Mary Mount Catholic Pry School, Oke-Ila it is rowdy here. The security agents are trying to maintain peace.
10.18
Akoidu Michael, APC agent at Ward 20 Iyin is complaining that some voters names were missing in the master list (Permanent Voters Card register)despite appearing on the valid registration list pasted on the wall. So accreditation is put on hold.
10.13
In Ward 07 Polling Unit Area 002 in Oke-Ila area, the accreditation began early but it is slow. There 1239 registered voterrs here. It will be a miracle if accreditation in concluded within the stipulated time.
10.07
Large voters turnout at Ward 20 Unit 1 in Adelabola Compound , Iyin. Number of register voters is 370. Accreditation still going on.
09.58
At Ward 9 Unit 003 Dallimore, there are 1,051 registered voters. Over 500 have been accedited. The exercise according to INEC adhoc staff started exactly 8.05am.
09.50
At Ward 09 Unit 33 polling unit, Dallimore area of Ado-Ekiti, the turn out is also impressive. There are 700 registered voters and many of them are complaining that the INEC adhoc staff are too slow and might not accredit all of them before 12.30pm. Here a man Abiodun Solomon Adebayo is complaining about his voting card but the INEC staff cannot help him.
09.11
Massive turn out of voters across Ado-Ekiti. The security in the state capital is tight. Some secyrity details are stationed in particular areas while some are roving.
09.01
In Ado Ekiti, the turn out for accreditation is impressive. At 09 Ado Dallimore Polling Unit the accreditation began exactly 8am. There are seven INEC adhoc staff. They said 976 registered to vote. The situation is the same in front of Ekiti State Univesity Teaching Hospital along Adebbayo Street.
08.59
Voters already queueing up for accreditation at Ward 3 Unit 1 Idemo, Ado Ekiti.
08.10
08.07
Voters agitation at Ekiti State Government College, Ado Ekiti (Ward 13 Unit 18) as the school security men lock voters and election officials outside. According to one of the security men, he has 'order from above' not to allow voters inside the school compound.
07.24
Nicholas: Election materials and officials have already arrived all the voting units I've been to so far in Ado Ekiti. Also, voters can be seen gathered at polling units already. From all indications there will be large voters turnout.
JKF VOTES
Governorship Candidate, All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Kayode Fayemi, casting his vote at his Ogilolo Ward, Isan-Ekiti on Saturday 21 June 2014
Foreign Observers from Canada at Ejigbo Ayede polling centre in Isan, Ekiti
Ayodele Fayose at his polling unit in Afao, Ekiti State
A woman casting her vote in Afao, Ekiti
Voters showcases their cards at Afao polling unit Ekiti
Civil Defence officers monitoring the election