No Voter Will Be Disenfranchised — Biodun Oyebanji Assures Ekiti Electorate

According to Ireporter Online, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing governorship election in the state, describing the exercise as largely peaceful with encouraging voter turnout across several communities.

The governor made the remarks on Saturday after casting his vote alongside his wife at Polling Unit 003 in his compound, RA 06, Ekiti West Local Government Area.

Oyebanji said situation reports from different parts of the state indicated that voting was progressing smoothly, with many residents responding positively to calls to participate in the electoral process.

He, however, acknowledged that some polling units experienced technical challenges during the accreditation process, which led to delays in the early hours of voting as electronic voter verification devices struggled to capture details of some voters.

Appealing for calm, the governor urged voters to remain patient, assuring that every eligible citizen would be allowed to vote despite the temporary setbacks. He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had assured that the technical issues would be swiftly resolved to ensure smooth continuation of the exercise.

Oyebanji further noted that those already on queue at polling centres would not be disenfranchised and would be allowed to vote once the challenges were fixed.

He also commended the turnout of voters, describing it as a positive sign of civic engagement and democratic participation in the state, adding that residents had responded well to calls to come out and exercise their franchise.

“The report is positive and voting is going on smoothly. The turnout is also very impressive. I am happy that people heeded my call for them to come out en masse to cast their votes. I want to appeal to our people to be patient, because everyone will vote. I have received assurances from INEC that all those who came out will be allowed to vote,” he said.