UPDATE: 749,000 voters determine who becomes next Ekiti state governor today

Today, over 749,000 voters in Ekiti state would decide who succeeds Governor Kayode Fayemi in an election that promises to be an epic battle.

The ruling All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party and 13 other political parties are jostling to produce the next governor in the election. The exercise is scheduled to hold across the 2,445 polling units in the 16 local government areas of the state.

The other parties include Accord Party, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, Action Democratic Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Allied Peoples Movement, Action Peoples Party, Labour Party, New Nigeria People’s Party, National Rescue Movement, Peoples Redemption Party, Young Progressives Party and Zenith Labour Party.

The key players are incumbent Dr. Fayemi and former governor of the state, Niyi Adebayo, who are leading the campaign for the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Biodun Oyebanji.

Another former governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, is working for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Bisi Kolawole, while the the standard-bearer of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Chief Segun Oni, was also a former governor.

Also, there’s the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Dr Wole Oluyede, a medical practitioner; the Young Progressives Party, YPP, standard-bearer, Mr Debo Ajayi; and the Action Peoples Party, ADP, candidate, Prince Adeyinka Alli, a young ex-banker.

Already, President of Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, has set up the Ekiti State governorship election tribunal to hear and determine petitions that may arise in the governorship election.