By Gbenga Ariyibi
ADO-EKITI—Ekiti State former governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, has called on  the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to brace-up for the challenges of 2011 elections, saying most of the electoral problems witnessed in the state recently were caused by some of them.

Fayose spoke, Thursday, while on a  visit to the State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Alhaji Ishiyaku Maigoro.

He said: “I have no doubt that your track record to the best of my knowledge,  shows that you are a man of honour and intergrity, who has what it takes to be an unbiased umpire in this crucial time that Ekiti State and the entire Nigeria deserve men of honour like you to set the country on the path of honour in democracy and democratic principles.

‘I have no doubt that you have background information and knowledge of how we got to where we are in Ekiti as a result of unprincipled and biased umpires who set the clock of democracy backward in our dear state.

“Today, you, the REC, will make history, if you bequeath Ekiti people true democracy which could only be achieved through the ballot box. You will, then, remain our hero. You should be wary of preachers and teachers of true democracy, but doers of none.

‘’The REC should not encourage politicians that say win now at all cost and wait for the court to adjudicate, even if the thief uses the mandate of the true winner unjustly.

It is in the purview of the REC to cancel anywhere that violence occurs. This would rather make him more honourable that the court that such violent politicians were waiting for.”

Fayose  charged the INEC boss to work closely with the police and other law enforcement agencies so as to record a success in the state .