south-west Nigeria.
The people of Ondo State are ready to go to the poll to
elect their governor for the next four years.
Channels Television went round Akure, the state capital
on Friday to assess the level of preparedness for the election.
Less than 24 hours to the D-day, increased commercial activities
dominated the atmosphere in most of the areas visited, such as
markets, major roads, and business hubs.
Residents thronged major markets in what could be described as
last-minute shopping ahead of the poll.
Kareem Adewole, a butcher at the market in Arakale, said despite
the presence of the crowd, he has yet to record any unusual
increase in sales as of 2:30pm.
While some traders at the market aligned themselves with
Kareem’s position, it was more profit for others.
Channels Television also interviewed an Akure-based lawyer, Mr
Femi Owolafe, who analysed the security situation in the city.
He decried the activities of some political players in the
buildup to Saturday’s election and warned against a repeat of the
occurrence in 1983 in Ondo.
Owolafe also condemned the violence recorded recently in some
parts of the state, adding that a young man was kill on Thursday as
a result of the heightened tension.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
He, however, admitted that the atmosphere has been relatively
peaceful and urged the residents to come out and exercise their
right without fear.
“The political gladiators must caution their supporters and
there is a point that must be noted, especially in this era we are
now.
“There is vote-buying and it is a new trend in our political
space. No state in the whole 36 states of the Federation is
exempted,” the lawyer said.
The legal practitioner added that there was need for the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security
agencies to ensure the process was not manipulated in any way.
He also called on various political parties to preach against
all forms of electoral malpractices and call their supporters to
order.
Meanwhile, the police have assured the people of the state of
adequate security before, during, and after the election.
INEC, on its part, had cleared 17 candidates, including a
female, to vie for the top political office in Ondo State.