The United States government on Thursday sent a passionate plea to both organisers of the elections and the electorate to ensure a free and fair governorship election in Ekiti State come Saturday, June 21.
The U.S. government, in a pre-election statement issued on Thursday through its embassy in Abuja, underscored the significance and importance of the day in the lives of the people of Ekiti and its residents.
The government reminded the people of Ekiti that as they go to any of the state’s 2,195 polling units to select their next governor, they should consider the importance of a successful exercise to the entire electoral process as Nigeria approaches 2015.
“A well-conducted election in Ekiti that is free of violence and that accurately reflects the will of the voters would both constitute an important demonstration of the credibility of the electoral system as the February 2015 elections draw closer, as well as bestow legitimacy on the winner of the election”, the embassy statement read.
“We call on INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) to ensure that registered Ekiti voters will be able to cast their ballots efficiently and without hindrance; the security services to provide security in an impartial, judicious manner; and the candidates and parties to play by the rules at every step of the process, while also encouraging voters to go to the polls.”
The statement said the United States Mission to Nigeria would be watching the election with great interest.
It said it would have more than 30 accredited election observers on the ground in the state on Election Day to monitor the elections.
“We hope all electoral stakeholders will seek to meet the high standards that the Nigerian people demand and expect,” it stated.
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