BY Gbenga Ariyibi

ADO EKITI—Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission, EKSIEC,  has fixed a referendum over planned creation of additional 18 Local Government Development Council Areas. LGDAs, for this Saturday, even as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State, urged the people of the state, to shun the proposed referendum.

EKSIEC in an announcement on the state radio station, invited the people in all the 16 local government areas of the state to participate in the  referendum to be conducted on the new councils on Saturday.
Since the beginning of the week, EKSIEC has been making public announcement on the referendum.

But PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, in Ado-Ekiti urged the people to ignore the call, saying it would amount to exercise in futility
Oluwawole noted that the PDP had gone to court to challenge Governor Kayode Fayemi and the state House of Assembly over the matter.

According to the statement “The proposed referendum is an illegal act, as it did not following the due process expected of such an exercise. The legal matter over the constitution of EKSIEC is still in court.”Apart from the matter of the constitution of EKSIEC being at the Supreme Court, Ekiti PDP has also gone to court challenging the creation of the new LCDAs and that is still in court.  Any action taken by Fayemi, EKSIEC and the Ekiti State House of Assembly on the matter is null and void and we are calling on the people of the state not to waste their time going out on Saturday for any referendum. It will end up a sheer waste of time and resources.

“It is going to be an exercise in futility and we are calling on the people of Ekiti State not to allow themselves to be used, as the incoming administration will not recognise any such illegal act. We are reiterating again that the PDP is committed to the growth and development of the state in all ramifications and as a law abiding party, will never support any illegal act.”

The PDP urged people of the state to prevail on Fayemi and the APC to follow due process in the handling of the matter.