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The faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) led by the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Olajumoke Akinjide, yesterday joined others to congratulate the governor-elect of Ekiti State Mr. Ayodele Fayose on his election at the just concluded gubernatorial elections in the state.
In a statement by the Director General of the NGF faction, Asishana Okauru, Amaechi said, “While we congratulate the Governor-elect for his victory, we congratulate the people of Ekiti State for their conduct during the election.
“We also congratulate the incumbent Governor, Kayode Fayemi for demonstrating a rare spirit of sportsmanship by accepting the outcome of the election and promising to work with Mr. Fayose to take Ekiti State forward.
“The people of the state have made all Nigeria proud by demonstrating, again, that Nigerians, on their own can choose their own leaders on their own terms, in an ordered manner. The peaceful conduct of the election assures us all that the future of democracy is bright,” he said.
“We trust that Mr. Fayose will demonstrate the requisite large-heartedness to warm up to all Ekiti people irrespective of their political affiliations”, the statement said.
Also, renowned lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) has felicitated with the PDP candidate on his victory at the poll.
In a statement in Ado-Ekiti and personally signed by him, Babalola said as a stakeholder in the Ekiti project, he was much concerned with the development and growth of the state.
“I observed that your electoral victory could be attributed largely to large number of youths most of whom were unemployed and unemployable who are hoping for a better tomorrow, as well as students who are angling for affordable education, particularly at the tertiary level of education.
“In a land-locked state like Ekiti, which is afflicted with a high dosage of unemployment, it is for you to justify the trust and confidence the electorate had willingly reposed in you by delivering on the promises you have made. How can this be achieved?
“Because of the peculiar nature of Ekiti as a landlocked state with very poor means of transportation and without any other means of revenue apart from the monthly allocation from the centre, which is about the least among the 36 states of the federation, Ekiti cannot afford to be in opposition to the government at the centre.
In a similar message, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Akinjide congratulated both President Goodluck Jonathan and the victorious Mr. Fayose.
Akinjide in a statement signed by her Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Ayodeji Adeyemi, said the victory has brought Ekiti State back to the “transformative train”.
“I wish to congratulate Mr. Ayodele Fayose and Jonathan for bringing Ekiti State back into the transformative train of progress that has been sweeping across our nation under the banner of the PDP. I am positive that Mr. Fayose’s administration would indeed bring swift development back to Ekiti State,” she said.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in its message said the post-election conducts of the outgoing governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi following his loss in the gubernatorial election was worthy of emulation by political players in Nigeria.
NLC said yesterday in a statement that was signed by its President, Abdulwaheed Omar, in Abuja that such reported conduct of Fayemi signalled a possible new era in the politics of Nigeria.
It stated that Fayemi had by such gesture indicated that every one cannot be a winner in every election conducted in the country, hence, the need for politicians to adopt the spirit of statesmanship in accepting defeats at polls.
“We at the NLC would like to congratulate the governor-elect of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose on his victory at the polls.
“He owes the Ekiti people the duty of keeping his campaign promises to them and of building on what his predecessor has done. It is heart-warming to hear him say he would work with Fayemi to move the state forward,” NLC said.
“Now that the electorate is not the cause of electoral violence, the militarisation of election zones should be de-emphasised in order for electoral process to be carried out as a civil/civic exercise,” the body said.
However, the Nigerian Bar Association and Nigerian Union of Journalists, while congratulating the Ekiti State governor-elect, on his victory at the poll, urged him to form an all-inclusive government for the stability and peace in the State.
Also, the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room), a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs), said the outcome of the election had shown a marked improvement in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) management of the electoral process and outcome of the poll.
In a statement jointly signed by the Co-chairman of NBA /NUJ Peace initiative for the state governorship poll, Mr. Joseph Adewumi and Laolu Omosilade respectively, commended the INEC and the security forces for conducting a free, fair and credible election in the State.
While lauding Fayemi for showing spirits of sportsmanship by conceding defeat to the candidate of the PDP the NNPI also commended Fayose for spreading the olive branch to the Governor in a manner that has been widely applauded across the country.
It said, “We call on our people irrespective of their political ideologies to seize the unique opportunity offered by the peaceful and credible nature of this election to sink their political differences for the benefit of a continuous and further rapid economic and infrastructural development of our dear state.”
Commenting on the outcome of the election, the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room), a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs), said the outcome of the election has shown a marked improvement in the INEC management of the electoral process and outcome of the poll.
“What we witnessed in Ekiti should be reflected in the August 9 Osun State governorship election and the 2015 general election.”
Nwankwo, however appealed to Nigerian politicians to conduct themselves in manner that the country’s elections would conform to international standards whereby massive deployment of security agencies would not be necessary.
The Situation Room said, “Timely arrival and early start of voters was observed in more than 90 per cent of polling units across the state. Despite irregularities in a few places, voting and counting processes were in the main, transparent and fair.
While congratulating Fayose on his victory, the Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the PDP, Mr. Felix Obuah, also commend the good people of Ekiti State for voting out of power the APC government, by resisting to be influenced by the billions of naira earmarked for electoral fraud by the leadership of the party.
The PDP chairman in Rivers State, in a press statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media, Jerry Needam, lambasted Governor Rotimi Amaechi for allegedly spending N5billion state’s tax-payers’ money in executing the APC governorship election in Ekiti State, all aimed at getting at President Goodluck Jonathan and in a desperate effort to destabilise the PDP-led government in Nigeria.
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