PDP disqualifies 3 of its 16 governorship aspirants in Ekiti State

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disqualified three of its 16 governorship aspirants in Ekiti State.

PDP

Senator Bode Olowoporoku, Mr. Peter Obafemi and Mrs. Bosede Dada were dropped by the Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba-led screening committee.

Ndoma-Egba told reporters yesterday that Olowoporoku was disqualified for failing to provide his tax clearance certificate and the court judgment he claimed overturned his expulsion from the party.

Obafemi was rejected for failing to produce his NYSC discharge certificate.

Mrs. Dada was dropped because she could not produce her secondary school leaving certificate, evidence of tax and membership dues payment.

Those cleared are former Police Minister Caleb Olubolade; former Governor Ayo Fayose; Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, Mr. Oluwadare Bejide, Mr. Bodunde Adeyanju, Erelu Ogundipe, Mr. Gbenga Aluko, Mr. Mr. Abiodun Aluko, Mr. Adewale Aribisala, Mr. Adebisi Omoyeni, Mr. Oluropo Ogunbolude, Mr. Omolara Adubiaro and Mr. Ayodeji Ajayi.

The disqualified aspirants are free to approach the party’s screening appeal committee.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been scored low by stakeholders in the issuance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)in Ekiti State.

Speaking yesterday at an interactive forum with stakeholders, including a coalition of Civil Society groups, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi from the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) said: “INEC failed to sufficiently sensitise the electorate for the exercise.”

The civil society groups lamented the insufficiency of personnel across the 2,195 polling units, adding that only one ad hoc staff (a youth corps member) attended to a large crowd while many collected their PVCs through proxies.

Representatives of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, African Centre for Leadership , Strategy and Development, HEDA Resource Centre, New Initiative for Social Development, West African Network for Peace, Centre for Democracy and Development, National Council for Women Societies and Electoral Reform Network were present.

Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi said: “Incidents of relocation of registration units led to confusion over designated points of PVCs collection in some councils, while attention forms were inadequate in most polling units. There was tension at some registration units as people scrambled for the few available forms.

“We expected INEC and other stakeholders to sensitise the people on the importance of the exercise. Most people came to the venue without knowing what they were there to do.

“The names of deceased persons were on the register. For example, at Igbehin in Atikankan Registration Area, PU 002, Fakorede’s House, the name of the former Deputy Governor, the late Mrs Funmilayo Olayinka, among others, was on the list.

“Party agents interfered with the registration process under the guise that one youth corps member assigned to a unit cannot singlehandedly attend to the hundreds of people on the queue and this is not good for our democracy, considering the experiences of the past.”

The civil society groups urged INEC to “fine tune electoral procedures and clean up the voter register”, so that Ekiti could have a credible election on June 21.

Director-General of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation Bimbo Daramola said the exercise showed that INEC did not overcome past errors.

Daramola said: “While some would say it is normal to expect criticisms from the Fayemi camp, it is obvious that there were lapses in the exercise, which make one wonder if INEC was prepared for it.

“I attended INEC stakeholders’ session, which was presided over by the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and one of the things he said actually came into play. For example, the impression I came off with at the meeting was that the number of cards that would be available would reflect the number of people posted on the voter register. But, it turned out not to be so.

“I imagined that everyone whose name makes it into the register would have a complementary PVC, but that was not so. I cannot help asking if Jega was aware of steps to be taken before the date to avoid mistakes as have been noticed?” (0)

PDP disqualifies 3 of its 16 governorship aspirants in Ekiti State