The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Ekiti, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, has commended voters and election officials for their peaceful and professional conduct across the state.

Mr Omoseyindemi told journalists after monitoring the governorship election in the state on Saturday that it was largely peaceful.

“We never had it so good. You can see that people came out to vote, and there was no report of violence. Everything went on peacefully, and it was well,” he said.

The REC noted that special provisions were made to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs), including those with visual impairments and other physical challenges.

According to him, INEC had earlier mapped the distribution of PWDs during the voter registration exercise to enable the commission to provide the necessary assistive devices and support at designated polling locations.

“You can see people with disabilities and physically challenged persons participating in the process. Those with visual disabilities were provided with the necessary aids to enable them to vote independently.

“We carried out mapping during voter registration to identify where these persons are located and ensured that the required facilities were made available for them,” he said.

Mr Omoseyindemi also urged the electorate to remain patient as they await the announcement of election results, assuring them that the collation process was ongoing.

“Ekiti people should be patient, and the results will be out soon. In some places, counting has already commenced, while reports are being received through our election operations support system,” he said.

The REC explained that INEC’s election operations support system was actively monitoring developments across the state and maintaining communication with field officials to promptly address any challenges that might arise throughout the process.

He stressed the need for stakeholders and members of the public to rely on verified information rather than speculations, noting that allegations should always be verified.

(NAN)