Ekiti Gov Election: SDP Alleges INEC Official Is Governor Fayemi’s Ally

By Ayodele Oni

Barely 72 hours to the election of a new Governor in Ekiti State, the Social Democratic Party, (SDP), has cried out that the presence of a Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) in the state is a threat to a free and fair poll.

The INEC official, Prof Kunle Ajayi, is the supervising National Commissioner in charge of Ogun, Ondo and Osun states.

A statement in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the SDP in Ekiti State, Gani Salau, urged the Professor of Political Science to distance himself from the election because he is an interested partner in the election.

“We are getting his covert and clandestine influence on the process of the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ekiti State and we are warning him seriously to stay clear and he should be on the part of honour as an umpire.

“Yes, we know he is an Ekiti man but his job as INEC National Electoral Commissioner indicates that he is to remain an arbiter and allow INEC officials saddled with the conduct of this election to do their job without influence so that the votes of Ekiti electorate will count.

“We urge INEC to remain neutral in the conduct of this election because all eyes are on Ekiti and we should get it right this time.

“The whole world is watching us and we urge INEC Chairman, Professor Mammood Yakubu to maintain his integrity and shouldn’t succumb to the pressure of the agents of this failed APC Government in Ekiti State.”

SDP further claimed that Prof Kunle Ajayi is close to the outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi and he is being handed a directive that he should use his status to influence the election to the favor of the All Progressive Congress.

Kunle Ajayi, a professor of political science, until his appointment as the National Electoral Commissioner of INEC from Ekiti State was formerly the Dean, Faculty of Social sciences, Ekiti State University.