The 988,923 registered voters across 16 Local Government Areas of Ekiti State will elect the next governor and the deputy governor of the state today.

The election will hold in 2,445 Polling Units in 177 registration areas, three senatorial districts, six federal constituencies, and 26 state constituencies across the states.

A total number of 16 candidates and parties are contesting the governorship election.

As of June 13, a total of 749,065 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) had been collected by registered voters in the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said voting will be by continuous accreditation and voting system.

The accreditation process shall comprise authentication and verification of voters, using the 3,346 Bimodal Accreditation System (BVAS) deployed by INEC.

The accreditation and voting are expected to commence at 8:30 a.m. and close at 2:30 p.m. provided that any voter already in the queue shall be allowed to vote.

After an election and completion of results management procedure at the polling unit, the Presiding Officers are expected to transmit a clear image of the result sheet (form EC8A) for purpose of collation.

The result will thereafter be transmitted to INEC Result Viewing portal (IREV).

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It would also be delivered by hand the hard copy of the form EC8A and the BVAS to the Registration Area (RA) collation officer to ensure that the number of accredited voters contained in the machine is same thing in the form EC8A.

The candidates contesting the gubernatorial election are Abiodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olabisi Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Olusegun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Others include Reuben Famuyibo of Accord (A), Ajagunigbale Olajide of African Action Congress (AAC), Oluwole Oluyede of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Elebute-Halle Kemi of Action Democratic Party (ADP), and Benjamin Obidoyin of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Also contesting are Fagbemi Adegbenro of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Christiana Olatawura of All People’s Party (APP), Daramola Olugbenga Onile of Labour Party (LP), Fatomilola Oladosu of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Iyaniwura Ifedayo of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).

Also in the race are Agboola Ben of the Peoples Redemption Party, Adebowale Oluranti Ajayi of Young Progressives Party (YPP), and Adeolu Akinyemi of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

INEC had assured Nigerians that the people of Ekiti State would determine their next governor, while security agencies also pledged to secure a peaceful environment for the poll.

The Star