The results
LOCAL GOVT APC PDP ZLP
Ese-Odo 13,383 4,680 4,760
Ilaje 26,657 11,128 4,005
Odigbo 23,571 9,485 6,540
Ondo West 15,977 10,627 10,159
Okitipupa 19,266 10,367 10,120
Ose 15,122 8,421 1,083
Akure South 17,277 47,627 2,236
Akoko South East 9,419 4,003 2,004
Idanre 11,286 7,499 3,623
Owo 35957 5311 408
Akure North 9546 12263 1,046
Ondo East 6485 4,049 3,221
Akoko North West 15,809 10,320 3,477
Akoko South East 21,232 15,055 2,775
Akoko North East 16,572 8,380 3,532
Irele 12,643 5,493 5,904
Ile Oluji Oke Igbo 13,278 9,231 1,971
Ifedore 9,350 11,852 1,863
Re-elected Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Sunday put the people at the centre of his victory in Saturday’s election.
He described the election as a statement of the people’s assessment of his performance in the last three and a half years.
The governor promised to rededicate himself to the challenges facing the state, saying the people have no reason to be poor.
Residents of his home town, Owo, trooped to his residence with drums and bands to celebrate the victory.
The governor and the Deputy Governor-elect Lucky Aiyedatiwa rode in an open vehicle through the streets of the town to the admiration of people, old and young, who trooped out in celebration.
Speaking at his residence, after his victory was confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate said of his victory: “It is unequivocal, direct, inspiring and soul lifting. It is awesome. It is a reward for hard work, dedication, focus, honesty and patriotism. It is also a challenge to us for rededication to service in the interest of our people. On this, we shall not relent.
“We set out on the first leg of this political adventure with the determination to make the whole State our constituency. We have not relented on our mission to bridge the huge infrastructural deficit inherited on assumption of office.
“We hold the axiom as evident that the welfare of the people should be the only justification for the existence of government. We have allowed this admonition to be the guiding principle of governance. We are elated to receive a scorecard through this state-wide plebiscite.
“The resounding victory of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), throws an open challenge to all stakeholders not to choose the path of complacency. We have noted the few dissenting voices of protest in this referendum. We heard them loud and clear. We intend to address genuine grievances. We shall continue to focus on the development of our God-given space, the Sunshine State.
“This Administration will not be distracted in the discharge of our sacred mandate. The people will continue to be at the centre of all decisions. We will proceed with our administrative style which promotes transparency and accountability. We are determined to set our State, progressively, on the path of real development. Self-reliance is attainable.
“Our State has no business with poverty. Sincere, purposeful and focused leadership should have little difficulty in harnessing the vast resources, both human and natural. We will put in everything to justify the trust reposed in us.”
Akeredolu congratulated his main rival, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Eyitayo Jegede for participating in the election adding that his patriotism was not in doubt.
He described Jegede’s love for the people as unassailable.
He commended INEC for conducting a free, fair and credible election.
Members of the APC National Campaign Council led by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu were at Akeredolu’s residence when the results were announced and Akeredolu declared winner.
Others present were Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, among others.
Akeredolu responded to his declaration as winner with a Christian thanksgiving song before making his speech.
Sanwo-Olu described Akeredolu as a ‘talk-and-do’ governor. He said the victory had given him the opportunity to continue the good work he is doing in the state. He pointed out that the victory belongs to the people of Ondo State. “Thank you, Ondo people,” he said.
Governor Bello said Akeredolu’s victory is a confirmation that the APC is together and will continue to be together. He said: “This simply proved that APC is strong and united.
Thank God for this. Let all youths and other Nigerians continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Akeredolu and the APC.”
Governor Oyetola thanked all the governors for staying united in supporting Akeredolu. He recalled that Sanwo-Olu relocated to Ondo for one week to demonstrate his commitment.
He said: “This has further shown that APC remains very strong, and in charge. With unity of purpose, we will take APC to greater heights. The Edo State experience will never repeat itself in any APC state.”
Governor Fayemi, Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu and Jigawa State Governor Badaru, also visited Akeredolu.
The people of Akure, the state capital, where the PDP candidate hails from, showed disappointment with the result. Before the result was officially declared by INEC, all was quiet in the capital yesterday.
Indigenes tried to come to terms with the impending defeat of their son. At Jegede’s family house at Cathedral area of the city, where people had jubilated following his good showing at his polling unit on Saturday, an ominious silence hung in the air.
Some politically conscious residents gathered at newsstands to discuss why Jegede lost. They blamed themselves for carrying Jegede as the symbol of Akure agenda, stressing that the inability to make people from other zones buy into their agenda accounted for his electoral defeat. One of the discussants, who identified himself as a core APC member, described Jegede as an Akure candidate and Akeredolu as an Ondo State candidate, judging by the way Jegede’s popularity was unable to spread across the other zones.
How he won
Akeredolu won with 292,830 votes to defeat Jegede, who secured 195,791 votes. Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) got 69,127 votes.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer Prof. Abel Olayinka, the vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan, declared Akeredolu winner for securing the highest number of votes and scoring 25 per cent in all 18 Local Government Councils.
“Oluwarotimi Akeredolu secured the highest number of votes among the 17 contestants. He was expected to score 25 per cent of votes in 12 LGAs, but he scored 25 per cent in all 18 LGAs in the state.
“Moreover the margin of lead, that is the difference between his votes and the candidate who came second, is higher than the number of cancelled votes.
“So, consequently, having satisfied the requirements of the law, I hereby declare Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as the winner, and is hereby returned elected,” he said.
His margin of victory above his main opponent is 97,039 votes.
He won in 15 of the 18 local government councils while Jegede won the remaining three. Ajayi did not win in any including his home Ese-Odo local government where he won in only his ward of the 10 wards that make up the local government.
The governor won all the local governments in the North and South senatorial districts losing only in Akure South, Akure North and Ifedore local government areas which are in the Central Senatorial zone. The PDP candidate hails from Akure.
The collation of results at INEC office in Akure commenced around 12am on Sunday and concluded at about 3:05pm.
The police’ air lifted results and officials from Ilaje and Ese Odo, the two riverine local government area where collation dragged till about 11am yesterday.
There were 595,213 accredited voters and 591,193 total votes cast. 18,448 votes were rejected.
Most of the cancelled votes were as a result of over voting, while a few others were because of none usage of Smart Card Readers, violence and ballot box snatching.
At Ifedore, APC scored 9,350, PDP 11, 852 and ZLP: 1,863. APC had 13,278 voted at Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo, while the PDP and ZLP scored 9,231 and 1,971 respectively. APC won Irele with 12,643, PDP scored 5,493 and ZLP had 5,904. In Akoko Northeast, APC emerged victorious with 16,572, PDP came second with 8,380 while ZLP scored 3,532.
Similarly, APC won Akoko Southwest with 21,232 votes; PDP got 15,055 while ZLP had 2,775. In Akoko Northwest APC had 15,809, PDP 10,320 and ZLP 3,477. The ruling party also swept majority of votes in Ondo East scoring 6,485, while the PDP and ZLP had 4,049 and 3,221 votes respectively.
APC recorded landmark victory at Owo with 35,957 of 42,680 total valid votes, while PDP had 5,311 and ZLP got a paltry 408 votes. In Akure North, the APC got 9,546 votes behind the PDP which clinched 12,263 while ZLP had 1,046 votes. For Akure South, the APC scored 17,277 votes, following PDP which emerged winner with 47,627 and ZLP came a distant third with 2,236.
APC won Idanre with 11,286; followed by PDP which scored 7,499 and ZLP got 3,623. The ruling party also got 9,419 votes in Akoko South East ahead of PDP’s 4,003 and ZLP’s 2,004 votes. At Ose Local Government, APC got victory with 15,122, while PDP had 8,421 and ZLP 1,083.
The results from Okitipupa showed APC for 19,266. PDP had 10,367 and ZLP received 10,120. In Ondo West, APC scored 15,977, PDP had 10,627 and ZLP got 10,159. Also at Odigbo APC swept 23,571 leaving PDP with 9,485 and ZLP 6,540.
The APC beat Ajayi hands down in his Ese-Odo Local Government Area with 13,383. The ZLP candidate and his PDP counterpart scored 4,760 and 4,680 respectively. At Ilaje, which is in Ajayi’s senatorial district, APC won with 26,657, PDP came second with 11,128 and ZLP 4,405.
The deployment of cutting-edge technology and adequate logistics were the game changers for the police.
For instance, the police Information and Communication Technology (ICT) department provided technical assistance by deploying equipment that could survey and gather audio-visual evidence of most of the polling units from a centralised location.
The gadgets also enabled security to cross-check on the spot, some of the alerts received from the public to know if they were real or false alarms. The police rose up to the occasion to forestall possible ambush of electoral officers returning from remote and riverine councils by air lifting them after the collation.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of ICT, Celestine Okoye, said security was adequate and provided needed supports to prevent criminals from undermining the process.
“We came prepared for this election like we did in Edo. We did not allow those who want to undermine the process the opportunity. Like people said, there was an improvement compared to that of Edo.
“Yes, we saw many false news out there including of things that never happened in Ondo State. Nigerians need to stop spreading fake news.
“The way forward is more improvements. I believe Anambra which is the next election will be better than Ondo. The Police today is technology-driven and we will keep improving on that.
“We arrested suspects and they will be charged to court. We are doing our best and we want Nigerians to enjoy this. The Nigeria Police is improving and will keep doing so.”
The Nation
