Accord, PDP, APC chieftains express confidence in voting process in Oyo

From: Joseph Okwuofu, Ibadan .

Thousands of voters turned out enmasse to exercise their civic responsibilities by casting their votes for their preferred candidates in the 2023 presidential/National Assembly election in the city of Ibadan on Saturday.

The electorate who stormed their different polling units as early as 7:30am ahead of the INEC officials have expressed satisfaction and confidence in the ongoing voting process in the state.

They described the process as peaceful, devoid of rancour in the entire state

They also commended the electorate for coming out en masse in the election held across the 33 local government areas in the state on Saturday.

A chieftain of Accord in Oyo state, Chief Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke who spoke with journalists described the exercise as peaceful.

Adegoke who spoke shortly after he casted his vote in Ibadan South West, Ward 10, Unit 10 at the premises of Oke Ado High School in Ibadan urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve in future elections.

“Things have been going on smoothly here. This is ward 10 collation centre, I have been here since 7 am. There are two polling units here. What INEC has done which is also good is that they created more polling units.

“The only problem that I saw is that they don’t have ink pard, people have to go home and look for ink pard and give them. But, it has been good and smooth. The only thing is that they need to continue to improve on it”.

A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Kazeem Abidikugu who voted at Unit 4, Ward 10, Ibadan South East described the new electoral act as the best for the country.

Abidikugu made this disclosure when he spoke with journalists shorty after he casted his vote.

He said, “My assessment of the election is that I think people are very much aware that they have acknowledged that fact that they need to exercise their civil right. The turn out was very impressive today. I have been voting in the past elections, we dont have much people the way we have it now in the past. People have recognised the importance of this election.

“It has been peaceful, we need to recognise the positive impact of the new electoral act has made in making people to realise the fact that no one can tamper with the result”.

A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Engineer Hakeem Oyedele Alao commended INEC for the introduction of technology into the system.

Alao made this disclosure shortly after he casted his vote at Unit 2, Ward 5 in Ibadan North local government area.

Alao while speaking with journalists, said that INEC has done well.

“INEC has done well. It has been peaceful and going on smoothly. INEC has done their best. There is no report of violence or destruction of anything. The electoral materials arrived on time. So far, so good no sight of vote buying and even if you want to buy votes, there is no money to buy it”.