By Banji Ayoola
The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC, has declared the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as the overall winner of the council polls it conducted on Saturday.
Its chairman, Prof Yomi Dinakin, who declared the results on Sunday at the commission’s headquarters in Akure, the state capital, said the party cleared all the 18 chairmanship seats and all the concluded councillorship seats.
Specifically, APC cleared 199 councillorship seats of the state’s 203 wards. Results of the remaining four wards including Akoko South/West wards 9 and 13, Ifedore/Igbara Oke ward 1 and Akure North ward 6, were cancelled due to violence.
Dinakin said that the commission would soon announce a date for rerun election into the four wards.
Only the APC had fielded chairmanship candidates in five councils including Akoko North-East, Ose, Ifedore, Odigbo and Irele; hence the commission declared APC candidates unopposed in line with Section 42 of the Electoral Act.
They are: Mr Omojola Asimuyu, Akoko North East; Mr Dennis Adekunle, Ose; Mr Alex Akinyemi Oladimeji, Ifedore; Mr Michael Akinsuroju, Odigbo; and Mr Segun Ajimotokin, Irele.
Returning Officers of the remaining 13 councils brought their collated results to ODIEC office where they were announced after they took turn to give details.
Following are the results of the charmanship election, all won by APC candidates: Ese Odo, Folawe Aluko won with 29,360 votes; Akoko South East, Paul Adurogboye, 14, 174; Mr Gbenga Olaniyi, Akure South, 24, 238; while Olamigoke Ojatuase won Ilaje with 40, 009 votes.
Michael Akinsuroju won Ile-Oluji/Oke Igbo with 13,250 votes; Igbekele Akinrinwa, Okitipupa, 34,721; Akinsulure Ebenezer, Ondo West, 54,292; Chief Adegbegi Samuel, Owo, 48,742 and Surveyor Bankole Ogbesetore, Akure North, 10, 541 votes.
Prince Kayode Aroloye won Idanre with 28, 200 votes; Ayodele Samson Akande, Akoko North West, 25,635; Akinkuotu Olawale, Ondo East, 36,252; and Oloruntogbe Augustine, Akoko South West with 29,109 votes.
Dinakin said the Chairmen would be involved in issuing Certificate of Return to the newly elected ward councillors in their respective councils, while their swearing-in date would be communicated soon.
Only ten political parties participated in the election. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which is the leading opposition party, and Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, had boycotted the election due to perceived irregularities.
