There are reports that in Ekiti West at about 9: am, no staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was on ground as electorates are still waiting for arrival of electoral materials.
Report says few security personnel could be seen manning some polling units.
However, reports from some other polling units showed that the INEC card readers are having technical fault while the electoral officers are sweating it out to fix them.
Early, massive turnout of voters in Ado-Ekiti
There was an early turnout of voters in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as electorate already trooped out as early as 6.00 am, trekking long distances to get to their polling units.
Some were trekking as long as five kilometres to be able to vote for the candidates of their choice.
The large turnout could not be unconnected with the high mobilization drives by the two dominant parties, the All Progressives Congress and the
Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
The massive turnout was noticed in Odo Ado, Ijigbo, Ajilosun, Adebayo area, Ilotin, Oke-Bola, Atinkankan, Okeyinmi ke ila. The polling units in those areas already have long queues of prospective voters.
As at 6.45 pm, security and election materials were already arriving in those units.
Some of the voters trekked from hamlets located at Eminrin Erunfun located along Afe Babalola University way in the state capital to the heart of Ado Ekiti to exercise their franchise rights.
Today’s election is going to be a straight fight between Dr Kayode Fayemi of the APC and Prof Kolapo Olusola of the PDP.
Today, July 14, 2016, the electorates in Ekiti, the Fountain of Knowledge would march to polling booths across the state to elect a new governor of the state.
Meanwhile, Fayose prayed for Deputy to win, watch video below.
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The eventual winner of today’s contest will take over from Peter Ayodele Fayose, the incumbent governor.
Fayose is expected to take a bow from the government house having successfully completed his tenure as enshrined in the constitution.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had since released names of 40 successful candidates, who have indicated interest in becoming the next governor of the state and met the requirements.
However, among the 40 contenders, 34 candidates will participate in the poll as some candidates withdrew few days to the election.
Two persons have, however, been tipped for the position.
The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the current deputy governor of the state, Professor Kolapo Olusola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the two top contenders.
READ: PDP accuses APC of importing fake policemen, duplicating ballot papers
Hence, the Saturday election has been widely narrowed down as a straight contest between Fayemi, a former governor of the state, and Kolapo, Fayose’s deputy.
While Fayemi is having the support of the APC-led government, Kolapo is enjoying the support of his boss, Fayose and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.