A former governor of Ekiti State and the
Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ayo Fayose, has emerged the winner
of the state’s governorship election held on Saturday.
Fayose got majority votes in all the 16 local government areas announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The three major contenders in the
Saturday poll were the Governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi, of
the All
Progressives Congress; Bamidele Opeyemi of the Labour Party and Fayose,
the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party.
Some of the results from the local
government areas are as follows: Oye Local Government Area, APC got
10,176 and PDP had 11,200 votes. At the Emure Local Government, APC
received 4,332 votes; Labour Party,1,527 and PDP 7,086.
The results from the Ilejemeje Local Government Area showed that Fayose of the PDP led with 3.670, APC, 3,336 and Labour 165.
At Ikere Ekiti Local Government Area,
PDP polled 16,197, APC, 7,989 and Labour 585. In Ikole Ekiti, APC polled
8,804, Labour Party, 1,259 and PDP, 14,238. In Ekiti South West, APC
6,746; LP 1,413; and PDP 11,038. Ijero, APC 9,348, LP 1,554, PDP 13,814.
Ifelodun APC 6,834, LP 3,555, and PDP 13, 038.
Before the results were announced, there
had been palpable tension around the state. Supporters of the
candidates and residents warned INEC against manipulating the result of
the election.
They warned against a repetition of what
happened at the rerun governorship poll in 2009, when the then Resident
Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Ayoka Adebayo, made a volte-face and
announced Mr. Segun Oni of the PDP as the winner.
The Chairman, Conference of Nigerian
Political Parties, Ekiti State, Mr. Tunji Ogunlola, said Ekiti people
were not ready to go through the tortuous journey of election petition
tribunal again.
He said, “Our people are wiser now and I
am sure they will resist any attempt to impose an unpopular candidate
on them as the winner. INEC should announce the winner of the election
and allow peace to reign.”
“Nigeria has too many security challenges it is struggling with and should not add Ekiti to the list of the troubled states.”
Ogunlola recalled that the manipulation
of the election result during the rerun supplementary election in 2009
caused a crisis that set the state aback for many years.
He warned that such should be avoided in
the interest of peace and development in the state. Another resident of
the state based in Ikere, Mrs. Ronke Balogun, told one of our
correspondents that INEC and the security agencies should not be used to
provoke crisis in the state.
She said, “I am sure that there will be
no problem if the winner of the election is announced. We should not be
doing things which will promote chaos. Election should be a routine
exercise, which should not be war.”
Folasade Gidado, a student of EKSU,
said, “The election is a watershed in the history of Ekiti. I hope that
INEC will allow the people’s will to prevail.
“All we desire in Ekiti is peace and meaningful development.
“We have been at home for two weeks and I
don’t want a situation that will force the management of our school to
declare total closure because of safety of students, if violence broke
out.
“Also, the Nigeria Civil Society
Situation Room, which is the platform of the Nigeria Civil Society
Groups, said the group would hold INEC by its words. One of the leaders
of the NCSSR, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, who addressed journalists in Ado
Ekiti on Friday, had urged INEC to conduct a credible election.
Foremost international law expert, Prof.
Akin Oyebode, said the election in Ekiti election was an opportunity
for the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to build his reputation.The
Ekiti indigene, who is the Head, Department of International Law and
Jurisprudence, University of Lagos, said the success or failure of the
election would determine what to expect in the August 16 governorship
election in Osun State and the 2015 general elections.
He said, “This is the time for Jega and
his confederates, after the debacle in Anambra (governorship election).
This is the last chance for Jega to display credibility by conducting a
free, fair and credible election.”
Oyebode, however, criticised the massive
deployment of security forces for the election, describing it as an
“over desperation” by the Federal Government.
Students, who have been sent home by the
management of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, two weeks before
the election are also anxious. Adewale Tosin, a mechanic, was more
concerned about his business opportunities. He said, “All I want is
peace. I don’t pray for any post-election violence because it will
affect our business.”
In his remarks, an EKSUT lecturer,
Olajide Akinwumi, said, “There are fears that the outcome of the
election will be tainted with allegations of malpractices owing to the
allegations and counter-allegations by the opposing parties.”
ELECTION RESULT
LG APC LP PDP
Efon 3,422 358 5,335
Oye 10,176 512 11,200
Ilejemeje 3,336 165 3,670
Ikere 7,989 585 16,197
Ikole 8,804 1,259 14,238
Ekiti S/W 6,746 1,413 11,038
Ijero 9,348 1,554 13,814
Ifelodun 6,834 3,555 13,038
Emure 4,332 1,527 7,086
Ekiti-East 8,584 884 12,498
Moba 7,994 1,000 8,878
Gbonyin 8,138 714 11,046
Ise 5,809 600 10,136
Ekiti-West 7,860 884 10,702
Ido-Osi 7,134 1,182 13,045
Ado-Ekiti 13,927 2,065 41,169
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