The Senate on Wednesday ,passed a resolution urging the Federal Government to ensure the safety of electoral officers, security personnel and election materials
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion tagged” Election Violence in Ekiti and Need to Eschew Restraint” sponsored by Sen.Biodun Olujimi ( PDP- Ekiti)
Leading the debate, Olujimi gave an overview of the disruption of the March 20 byelection for the Ekiti East Constituency 1 seat as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.
The Senator recalled that the byelection became neccessary following the death of Mr Juwa Adegbuyi of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in the state house of Assembly.
According to her, the election was peaceful and orderly until at noon when hoodlums invaded polling centrres to snatch ballot boxes
She said no fewer than three persons were feared dead, while many others sustained injuries adding that in a democracy, no election was worth the blood of any Nigerian arguing the people should be allowed to make their choices through their votes.
The Senate thereafter urged the Inspector General- of Police ( IGP) to order a full scale Investigation into the violence to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of the heinous act.
The senate also called for the accelerated passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which seeks to forestall election violence and establish the Electoral Offences Commission.
