The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the results of last Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, said the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Kayode Fayemi, won.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition PDP said: “The process, characterised by open alteration of results, brutalisation of innocent citizens, barefaced cruelty and intimidation of our members by security agencies, is a brazen assault against democracy and a direct subversion of the will of the people which is completely unacceptable.
“The PDP is armed with the details of all manipulations by the APC, which is being aided by security agencies and compromised INEC officials to rig the election, particularly, the audacious alteration and substitution of election results in favour of the APC at the collation centres amidst the brutalisation of our agents.
“The PDP also has details of all the polling units where we won, mostly with very wide margin ahead of the APC, only for the security agencies to aid the swapping and alteration of such results with those smuggled in by the APC at the collation centres.
“It is instructive to state that all the issues we raised ahead of the election, including the conspiracy between the APC, some compromised INEC officials and security agencies; the importation of thugs from other states by the APC; the use of brutal force against our members and the alteration of results in favour of the APC, have all manifested.
“The PDP holds strongly that there is no way our democracy can survive with an electoral process such as this, being witnessed today in Ekiti State under President Muhammadu Buhari and the current INEC.
“This bare-faced subversion of the will of the people is a clear recipe for a serious crisis and we invite Nigerians and the international community to hold Buhari and his APC as well as the INEC chairman and heads of security agencies in Nigeria responsible for any breakdown of law and order in Ekiti State as a result of this election.
“This on going robbery of the franchise of Ekiti people is a horrible rape of our democracy and most uncharitable of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC who hugely benefitted from the credible election midwifed by the PDP in 2015,” the PDP added.
Also yesterday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called for an outright cancellation of Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election, describing the exercise as an electoral banditry.
At a press conference, yesterday, at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja, the party faulted the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) even as it rejected the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi as the winner.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, who addressed the conference, yesterday, told journalists that the party was in possession of the authentic results from the polling units from across the 16 local government areas, stressing that the results obtained at the polling centres were not the same as those announced by INEC.
“The PDP rejects in its entirety the results concocted by the APC, INEC and security agencies, in the governorship election in Ekiti State and declared by INEC.
“The party rejects the falsified results and declaration of APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to be the winner of the election, as a daylight robbery, a brazen subversion of the will of the people and direct assault on our democracy.
“From the authentic results flowing directly from the polling centres across the state, it is clear that the PDP candidate, Prof Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, incontrovertibly won the election, with very comfortable margin over the APC candidate, only for INEC to allow the alteration of results at the collation centres.
“The PDP has the details of all the polling units where we won, mostly with very wide margin ahead of the APC, only for the security agencies to chase away our agents, then aid the alteration and swapping of such results with those smuggled in by the APC at the collation centers.
“We have the detail of the discrepancies between the authentic results from the polling units and the false figures eventually announced by INEC,” the PDP stated.
The party also said it was clear that while the election was ongoing, “The people of Ekiti State were pillaged, openly brutalized, confronted with the worst form of cruelty and intimidation from security agencies, and their mandate, which they freely gave to the PDP, was snatched at ‘gun point’ by enemies of democracy, who are parading themselves as icons of anti-corruption.”
The PDP further noted: “Nigerians are witnesses to all manipulations by the APC, aided by security agencies and compromised INEC officials, to rig the election, particularly, the audacious alteration and substitution of election results in favour of the APC at the collation centres amidst the brutalization of our agents.
“It is also instructive to state that all the issues we raised ahead of the election, including the conspiracy between the APC, some compromised INEC officials and security agencies; the importation of thugs from other states by the APC; the use of brute force against our members, the falsification and alteration of results in favour of the APC, all manifested in the election.
“We know how APC conspired with INEC to bring in card reader machines belonging to Kogi, Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun states into Ekiti State to enable APC members from these states to vote in Ekiti election with ease.
“Nigerians will recall the irresponsible and inciting statement credited to the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, where he threatened that the opposition will be “crushed” in this election,” adding “The APC governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, also vowed that they will “cage” the Ekiti State Governor, Chief Ayodele Fayose.”
According to the PDP, “APC state governors and federal ministers diverted huge sums of money from their states and ministries to bribe top officials of INEC, particularly, those in the ICT Department as well as security agencies to perfect the brigandage against the people of Ekiti State.
And should there be any breakdown of law and order in the state as a result of the exercise, the party said “President Buhari, the APC, the INEC chairman and heads of security agencies should be held responsible.”
The party publicity scribe also noted that the party was still putting its findings together to determine the next course of action.
Earlier, the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Results released by INEC, early yesterday showed that Fayemi garnered 197,459 votes to beat his closest rival and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Kolapo Olusola, who polled 178,121 votes while the PDC came a distant third position with 1,242 votes.
Declaring Fayemi the winner of the poll, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, who is also the State Returning Officer of the election, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, said “Having certified the requirements of the law, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress, is hereby declared as the elected governor.”
Olayinka said the total number of votes cast during the election were 384,594, while rejected votes were 18,857 bringing total to 403,451.
According to Olayinka, Fayemi won in 12 council areas against Olusola’s four LGs unlike in 2014 when Fayemi, according to official figures, lost in all the 16 council areas.
The local governments won by Fayemi and APC are Ekiti East, Ekiti South West, Gbonyin, Ido Osi, Ijero, Ikole, Ilejemeje, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ise Orun, Moba and Oye while the four councils won by the PDP candidates are Ado, Ikere, Efon and Emure.
Fayemi, who would be sworn-in as governor for the second time, was defeated by incumbent Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose in 2014.
His first term was between October 16, 2010 to October 15, 2014.
In his post-election speech, the governor-elect of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, described his victory in Saturday’s governorship election as one “for reclaiming the land and restoring Ekiti values”.
Fayemi told newsmen in Isan-Ekiti, yesterday, that “the victory of this election, I believe, is for reclaiming the land and restoring the values of our people.”
“Our values in Ekiti are respect for our leaders, commitment to our people, non brigandage and so on.
“This victory is a victory for all, it is not a victory for only Kayode Fayemi, it is a victory for all the Ekiti people.
“This was just not an Ekiti election, I want people to understand that this election has a lot of significance to the future of democracy in Nigeria.
“The fact that we have witnessed a free, fair and transparent election process has huge importance for similar exercises like Osun State next door to us and eventually the national elections in February 2019,” he said.
The governor-elect thanked all the APC leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari, National Leader, Sen. Bola Tinubu, former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, former interim Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, as well as party leaders and supporters in the state.
He also thanked his family members, especially his wife, Bisi, for their support during the election campaign.
Reacting to the results of the election, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Dr John Kayode Fayemi on winning the Ekiti State governorship election.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Femi Adesina, Buhari commended the INEC and all security agencies for a fair election.
The statement read in part: “President Buhari urges the governor-elect and APC members to be magnanimous in victory as the incoming administration prepares to unfold a new lease of life for the people of Ekiti State through purposeful and responsible governance.
“He commends the people of the State for their matured and peaceful conduct as they made their choice using the power of the ballot.
“President Buhari also lauds the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for adequate preparations and displaying impartiality throughout the process.
“He applauds the security agencies for creating the right atmosphere for the relatively peaceful conduct of the polls and urges them to sustain the peace.
“He also commends local and international observers and monitors for their vigilance and contributions towards the relatively hitch-free exercise.
“The President urges the losers to be gallant in conceding defeat and use constitutional means to settle whatever grievances they may have rather than resort to self-help.
“President Buhari appeals to all stakeholders in Ekiti State to work towards a successful transition to a new administration in the higher interest of not only the State but the entire nation and its fledgling democratic experience.
“In all this, the people of Ekiti State have spoken loud and clear, and democracy has won again,” the President noted.
President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, congratulated the Governor-elect of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on his victory in the just-concluded Ekiti gubernatorial election.
Saraki, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated that the governor-elect of Ekiti State should use his second-coming to continue the people-centered policies and programmes of his first term.
He urged him to also work to grow the state’s economy in order to leave behind a sustainable legacy.
He said the victory was a sign that the people of Ekiti State still have confidence in the former minister’s ability to provide good governance and render efficient service to the state and its people.
Saraki also advised the governor-elect to maintain his focus on how to bring more development to the State and improve the standard of living of the people.
The Senate President also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the law enforcement and security agencies, the government and entire electorate to learn some lessons from the Ekiti State gubernatorial election, which has served as a fore-runner to the 2019 General Elections and ensure that all areas of complaints and inadequacies are corrected before a similar election in Osun State and the 2019 general elections.
“To ensure that the Nigeria people have continued trust and faith in our electoral system, we must continue to work to improve our electoral policies and practices. We must look into the issues that have been identified in this last election to ensure that they are not repeated in the upcoming Osun Gubernatorial election, and during the 2019 elections. Definitely, the 2019 elections must be better in all ramifications than the 2015 polls”, he said.
Saraki prayed that God will bless and guide the Governor-elect as he prepares to assume Office, and called for a smooth transition between the outgoing government and the incoming one.
In the same vein, the Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo joined former governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan in congratulating Dr. Kayode Fayemi, over his victory in the Ekiti governorship election last Saturday, even as the PDP condemned the poll.
Dankwambo, a PDP presidential aspirant, in a tweet, yesterday, said: “We gave all the necessary support to our party and the candidate, Professor Kolapo Olusola Eleka to win the #EkitiDecides2018, but sad we lost. In life, you win some and lose some. Congratulations to the winner, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.”
Similarly, the former governor of Delta State and PDP chieftain, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan congratulated the APC candidate for his victory, saying that in every election, there must be a winner and a loser.
He advised Fayemi to be magnanimous in victory while urging the PDP candidate to accept the defeat, and prepare to fight again in the next four years, if he wishes to re-contest the position of governor of Ekiti State in 2022.
Their statements were in sharp contrast to the position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which rejected “in its entirety”, the outcome of the election, echoing the local branch in Ekiti.
The PDP Chairman, Uche Secondus had said in Abeokuta on Saturday that the Ekiti election was crucial to its plans for the 2019 campaign and the outcome may take the party back to the drawing board, as it loses its last foothold in the South West of Nigeria.
The party in the statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, had said it rejected “whatever outcome is being concocted by the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, in the governorship election in Ekiti State.”
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the governorship election in the state was 90 per cent successful.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof. Abdulganih Olayinka said this while assessing the electoral process.
Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Olayinka said reports from the eight INEC Commissioners in the field indicated that the election was largely peaceful across the state.
He noted that all INEC personnel, including ad hoc staff, got to their various polling units in good time and the election started early and uniformly.
“Except for Agboyin Local Government Area where it was alleged that ballot materials were scattered on the ground and in one or two places where the card reader malfunctioned, all was well,” he said.
Noting that identified problems in the electoral process had been addressed, Olayinka said no “incident form” was used in the exercise.