The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) on Thursday appealed to voters to shun inducements in the Ekiti governorship polls, slated for June 21.
Afenifere Spokesman Mr Yinka Odumakin and the founder of the OPC, Dr Federick Faseun, made the appeals in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
“Our sincere appeal is for all Ekiti people of voting age to go out and ensure that they voted.
“We also wish to advise the people on the need to protect their votes and make sure their votes counted.”
Odumakin reiterated the need for Ekiti people to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner during the polls.
He also urged INEC to assist in maintaining peace by ensuring that it conducted a free and fair election with a level-playing field for all candidates.
“The security agents should maintain law and order without intimidating voters or being partisan,” he said.
Also speaking, Faseun said that the people of Ekiti should be allowed to decide who governs them.
He said that there could only be issues if the people were stopped from voting by intimidation or if their votes became relegated.
The OPC leader said that while the people of Ekiti must insist on having their right to vote, they must do so without breaking the law.
Meanwhile the Omonira Yoruba Assembly (OYA) has advised security operatives in Ekiti to watch out for thugs from outside the state, who might want to cause trouble.
NAN reports that the calls are coming on the backdrop of allegations that some political parties are trying to woo voters with money and food items.
The Vice-Chairman of OYA, Mr Razaq Oladosu, urged residents of the state to report suspicious movements to the police.
“The people must assist security men in ensuring that there is peace so that the election will not be inconclusive,” he stated. (NAN)