Add Your Voice To Calls For Electoral Reforms, Political Analyst Advises Akeredolu

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has been urged to add his voice in advocating electoral reforms now that he has been re-elected for a second term in office.

A political analyst, Ariyo-Dare Atoye made the call in an interview with THE WHISTLER, on what should be the agenda before the government of Akeredolu.

Akeredolu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the October 10th governorship election, had polled 292,830, while his major challenger, Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scored 195,791 votes, a difference of 97,039 votes.

There were reports that the election was characterised by vote-buying, violence and mud-slinging.

There had been increasing agitation for a holistic electoral reform and the amendment of  the 2010 Electoral Act to, among other things, accommodate electronic voting.

Atoye, who is also the Co-Convener, Center For Liberty, said the call was important as vote-buying is a never-ending pit that is capable of undermining the country’s democracy if not quickly checked.

He also called on the governor to focus his attention on the continuity and consolidation of the programmes and policies that he started in his first term.

According to him, the Ondo governor must have earned the mandate of the people for a second term of office because he was able to convince the majority about the sustainability of his agenda.

He said: “The agenda before Akeredolu will certainly be the continuity and consolidation of the programmes and policies that he started in his first term. He must have earned the mandate of the people for a second term of office because he was able to convince the majority about the sustainability of his agenda.

“However, I will like to commit the governor to join the advocacy Electoral Reforms, as vote buying is a never-ending bottomless pit that is capable of undermining this democracy if not quickly checked.”