The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Saturday;s governorship election in Ondo State, Hon Agboola Ajayi, has rejected the poll’s result of announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.
Ajayi, who said he has been studying and examining the election results across the state, disclosed that he would be heading to the tribunal to seek justice.
The former Deputy Governor said he kept silent since the announcement of the results to enable him to investigate what he termed “contents of criminality prosecuted by both the APC and the INEC.”
He anchored his rejection on the series of alarms raised before the election over the party’s lack of faith in the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to conduct a credible poll.
Ajayi said the investigation uncovered many actions undertaken to compromise the electoral will of the people.
Speaking in a statement through his Special Adviser, Ayo Fadaka, Ajayi said democracy could not thrive in an environment where unabated criminality was perpetrated in the prosecution of an election by INEC.
The PDP candidate lost the election to the ruling party’s candidate and incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa after polling 117,845 votes, while the latter secured 366,781 votes to emerge as the winner and as well cleared all the 18 local councils of the state.
He said that the ‘debauchery’ that occurred during the election had been unearthed, which he said will form part of the evidence in court.
Ajayi maintained that since the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) came to power in the country, the elections conducted by the INEC have been enmeshed in controversies.
According to him, “While not divulging the nature and extent of the results of our investigations for now, our only prayer is that those who possess the privileges to determine the fate of the people and the nation should begin to live up to expectations and fear God, in the interest of our nation, its wellness, peace, and tranquility, or else they will be reduced to the same level as criminals and bandits who continuously lay landmines that undermine the progress of our nation.
“We particularly call on the Judiciary to brace up and perform the sacred and onerous responsibility of guaranteeing the portability of justice to people and institutions that seek it.
“The nation and the people will appreciate that.”
According to Ajayi, “We particularly call on the Judiciary to brace up and perform the sacred and onerous responsibilities to guarantee the portability of justice to people and institutions that seek it, the nation and people will appreciate that.
“Nigeria is currently described as a failed state, it is our prayers that it is revived, re-birthed and resounding again as a nation that will not only hold promises of a better day for its people but actually deliver on the same.
“Thus honesty must propel institutions and government, else revolt will one day dictate unwholesome developments that will portent dire consequences.”
He said, “Since the conclusion of voting on Saturday, 16th November, we have kept mute and put in process an investigation of the contents of criminality prosecuted by both APC and the INEC.
“In view of the foregoing, we have uncovered lots of actions undertaken to compromise the electoral desires of the people and sadly conclude that democracy cannot thrive in an environment where unabated criminality is perpetually perpetrated in the prosecution of an election by the agency (INEC) saddled with the onerous and sacred responsibility to protect our franchise and deliver its mandate at the end of every election.
“November 16th election, like every other election conducted by INEC since APC assumed power in 2015, continues in the tradition of hijacking the process and delivering results that are diametrically in contrast with expressed electoral desires, thus resulting in promoting voters apathy and total disenchantment with the electoral process.
“In summary, we reject the results of the Nov 16th election and will take legal actions to reverse the debauchery. That is the option available to us, and we are hopeful that man and God, who is the ultimate, will give us justice. It is time we begin to eschew criminality from our electoral process.”
