By Banji Ayoola
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, as the winner of Saturday’s governorship election it conducted in Ekiti State.
While declaring the results of the election on Sunday, the Presiding Officer, who is also the Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, said: \”That John Olukayode Fayemi of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.\”
He said that the total number of votes cast during the election were 384,594, while rejected votes were 18,857 bringing the total to 403,451.
Fayemi defeated his closest rival in the poll, Prof Kolapo Olusola of the Peoples Democratic Party, with 19,339 votes, having polled 197,459 of the 384,594 total votes cast, against Olusola’s 178,120.
He will be sworn in as Governor of the state for the second time, having served first between October 16, 2010 and October 15. 2014; when he was defeated by incumbent Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose. The PDC came a distant third position with 1,242 votes.
The results showed that he won in 12 council areas against Olusola’s four, unlike in 2014 when he, according to official figures, lost in all the 16 council areas.
Reacting, Fayemi said that his victory is significant for the future of democracy in Nigeria.
His words: “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 spoke on Sunday while addressing reporters in Isan-Ekiti shortly after he was declared winner of the election.
According to him: “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, nor criminality and so on.
“This victory is a victory for all, it is not a victory for only Governor Kayode Fayemi, it is a victory for all the Ekiti people.”
He thanked all the APC leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari, National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, former interim Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, and party leaders in the state.
He also thanked his family members, especially his wife, Bisi, for their support during the election campaign.
Fayemi first became Governor of the state in 2010, after a three year legal battle to reclaim his 2007 victory.
But the PDP has rejected the election results, which it alleged were concocted by APC and security agencies.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, it said:
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejects in its entirety 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.
“The process, characterized by open alteration of results, brutalization 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, who 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 centers amidst the brutalization 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 centers.
“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 bald-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 President 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.”
Also, PDP candidate in the election, Olusola cried foul, alleging manipulation of results.
He said in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Lere Olayinka, shortly before the announcement, that he contested against security agencies and as plans were afoot to tinker with the results of the election. He alleged that results in most of the Local Councils were tinkered with.
His words: “Aside the fact that it was an election of the PDP versus all the security agencies in the country, we are confident of winning.”
He alleged that the various wards collating centres had been taken over by armed thugs backed by security agencies as it was before and during the election.
He said: “Despite the intimidation and harassment by security agencies, we are still hopeful of winning the election but we are confronted with a clear plot to manipulate the results.
“We are therefore calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the security agencies and INEC to allow the will of Ekiti people to prevail.”
Earlier, the REC had described the results being declared on social media as illegal.
In a statement, Raji said the Ekiti election was still ongoing and listed several factors that made the declaration of result in the media as premature.
“Counting of ballots is still in progress, collation of results is equally going on in some areas”.
“All the floating news in the social media in respect of the result of the election should be discountenanced by the public. The announcement of the election result would be made by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) at the appropriate time,”
INEC statement coincided with the allegation being bandied by the PDP candidate, Olusola that plans were afoot to manipulate the election result.
Also reacting, Mr. Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan accused the APC of rigging, describing the election as ‘federal military invasion’
He said: “Ekiti’s election was NOT free and fair. It was more of a federal military invasion than an election.
“Even with APC’s questionable victory, I remind Buhari of history: PDP WON Ekiti’s gubernatorial election in 2014 but LOST the 2015 Presidential election. It is yet Uhuru for PMB!” he tweeted.
In his reaction, through a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, President Muhammadu Buhari heartily congratulated Fayemi on winning the election.
According to the statement: “The President commends the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and all party supporters for the hard-fought victory after a dignified campaign.
“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.” Immediately the result was announced, APC supporters went into jubilation and commended the INEC for conducting a free, fair and credible election.\”
In his reaction, the Chairman of Fayemi Campaign Organisation in the northern senatorial zone, Mr. Rufus Adumo, commended INEC, security agents and the voters for a peaceful exercise, adding that the winner would improve on his achievements during his first term.
