39,510 Party Agents For Ekiti Guber Poll

No fewer than 39,510 party agents are expected to be accredited by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to participate in the June 21 governorship elections in Ekiti State. The resident electoral commissioner in the State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, who gave the indication in a chat with the newsmen in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, explained that each of the political parties taking part in the poll is to present one polling agent per unit. Pai, who spoke through the public relations officer of the commission, Mr Taiwo Gbadegesin, however, called on all the 18 political parties participating in the election to forward the lists of their polling agents to INEC, on or before June 5. He stated that the party agents are to work with the commission poll officials that would be assigned to all the 2,195 polling units during the election. According to him, “INEC is committed to the conduct of free, fair and credible election that will be devoid of rancour among participating parties in Ekiti. This has been our vow and we will keep this to the end. We have to also give party agents the required attentions because they have critical roles to play in this election so that they will not mess up the whole process.” Pai added that the commission expected early submission of the agents’ lists to help INEC make all necessary steps that would prepare them (agents) for the election. “The commission will have to organise training for them, though the modality has not been determined. But there will be a training to prepare them thoroughly for the poll,” he said. The INEC boss appealed to the political parties to comply with the directive to help the commission’s quest to give Ekiti the best election.