WOLE BALOGUN, Ado Ekiti
Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Affairs, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has said that the shoot-on-sight order on electoral box snatchers issued by the president has cautioned potential poll riggers in the state and particularly in his area to desist from acts capable of truncating the process.
He also expressed optimism that President Buhari would win the presidential poll.
This was just as the state’s Police Commissioner, Asuquo Amba, expressed hope that the poll would be peaceful, free, and fair in the state, “with the level of compliance by electorate and the way our men have been on ground.”
Also, there was high turnout of voters in the state as the elections began at exactly 8am on Saturday.
The security arrangements was impressive as four policemen were seen guarding each polling units.
As early as 8am, virtually all the polling units in the state had begun witnessing long queue of electorate, while the INEC staff came as early as 8am to attend to the people.
Many people trekked several kilometres to get to their polling units due to the restriction of vehicular movement.
Mr. Amba lauded the process, particularly the large turnout of voters, saying that his men and officers were all over Ekiti to ensure that sanity prevails.
“Our men are all over the place and we are getting favourable feedbacks across the state. We are on ground and all the voters and INEC staff including election materials are safe.”
Senator Ojudu who voted at about 8:33am at Adeyinka Jimba unit 009B at Ward 8 in Ado Ekiti , applauded INEC and security agencies for their peaceful conducts.
He added that the level of credibility of the polls will be high if the situation in Ekiti persist all over the country.
” This is an exceptionally high turnout of voters. We never expected it. And I am sure that with the feelers we are getting across Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari will win today’s election”, he said.