The Senatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ekiti Central District, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, has given kudos to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for going ahead with the 2023 general elections in spite of initial challenges.

Bamidele gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, after casting his vote at Polling Unit 003 of Ward 13, Ibedoyin Ward, Iyin Ekiti.

NAN reports that the current Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, arrived at the polling unit at about 12 noon and voted by 12:27pm.

While describing the process of his accreditation and voting as smooth, he said that INEC deserved commendation for overcoming some initial obstacles on its way of carrying out the exercise.

He made allusion to the problems created by the introduction of new naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) few months to the general elections.

He said that initial challenges of non-functional BVAS in some parts of his senatorial district were corrected by INEC, thereby making the process hitch-free.

“We give God the glory that this election is even holding today. This election is holding today against the backdrops of daunting challenges in our country; owing to certain policies of government, especially through the CBN.

“But we’re happy that people refused to be pushed to violence and everybody worked hard to prevent the eventual breakdown of law and order.

“This is an election that would have been enmeshed in crisis due to recent development, but we’re happy that the election is holding.

“I took my time before coming out to vote, I came here after 12 noon because I needed to touch base with different parts of my senatorial district and different parts of the state.

“With respect to my senatorial district, what I gathered from various reports from the field is that the turnout of voters has been impressive and secondly INEC has lived up to expectations,” he said.

“As you can see, voting is going on without any hitch. My hope is that what we’re witnessing here is also what is happening in other parts of the country.

“The electioneering process is peaceful, smooth, fair and credible. And, I know that at the end of the day votes of Nigerians will count. By the grace of God, I look forward to a victorious outing that will give me an opportunity of a renewed mandate to go back to the Senate to serve my people.

“I also pray that through this process, the best will emerge for our own country at all levels of governance; in respect of the three positions that are being contested for today. If we have the right person as the president and right people in the Senate, Nigeria will move forward,” he said.

Also, Mr Ayodele Adetilewa, the Assistant Presiding Officer (APO 1), at the polling unit, described the process as hitch-free.

He said that electoral materials reached the venue at scheduled time, while there were no cases of thuggery and disturbances.

NAN further reports that Bamidele,  who is the Chairman of the Southern Senators’ Forum of the 9th Senate, was accompanied to the voting venue by his wife, Yemisi and members of his immediate family.  (NAN)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola