PDP, APC, LP participate in Ondo by-election

06 April 2014, 15:44

Abuja - The by-election in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency of Ondo State took place on Saturday in a relatively peaceful environment.

The by-election was occasioned by the death on November 21 of Raphael Nomiye of the Labour Party, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives.
Adewale Kukute of the PDP, Mr Adewale Omojuwa of the APC and Mr Victor Akinjo of the Labour Party took part in the election.

Speaking with newsmen after casting his vote in Arogbo Ward1 Unit 2, Kingsley Kuku, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger-Delta, described the election as free and fair.

Kuku said the people in the area conducted themselves in a peaceful manner, adding that they all went to the poll as a family irrespective of their political leaning.

"The election is so far free and fair, unless for some unresolved issues at the NewJerusalem unit in Arogbo ward 1.

"But for other units, I really commend the voters, the INEC officials and the youth corps members for a job well done.

"In Arogbo, we are brothers irrespective of our political affiliations, so there are no reports of violence from all the reports I have been gathering.

"We have made up our minds that we are going to give good leadership to our people, so we are ensuring that the right candidate emerges at the end of the day," he said.

Officials of INEC and sensitive election materials were available in most of the wards in the area at about 8.30 am.

Voters turned out in large numbers and accreditation went smoothly in most wards and units.

However, voting could not hold in Ogogoro and a unit in Arogbo ward 1, on account of alleged discovery of fake voter cards and registration of underage persons.

In Arogbo ward II, some suspected ex- militants disrupted election in all the 12 units in the ward, alleging that their names were not included in the Federal Government Amnesty Programme.