From NaijawebThe tension filled bye election in Ekiti state has just been concluded leaving Egineer Olusegun Oni as the victor. Olusegun Oni, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the governorship of Ekiti has been declared the winner of the concluded Ekiti bye-election by Nigeria’s electoral body , with an overwhelming majority of 44,306 votes.The opposition Action Congress (AC) party garnered 28,238 votes.
The declaration was finally made by Ayoka Adebayo, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state after a long drawn out collation on Tuesday evening.The outstanding rerun election for Oye-Ekiti local government area which was rescheduled to Tuesday, following violence the previous week was concluded peacefully.
But his opponent in the election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi described the outcome of the polls as a “travesty of justice” adding “it is our duty and responsibility to say no to this travesty and I believe that Ekiti people are ready. Ekiti people would do whatever it takes to make sure that this illegality does not succeed in this state.”
In Abuja, the Federal Government yesterday expressed regrets over the loss of lives and property in the Ekiti re-run crisis and assured that the on-going electoral reform would effectively check any reoccurrence.
Supporters of the opposition party candidate, Kayode Fayemi of the Action Congress had caused a commotion after the completion of the vote count, preventing Mrs Adebayo from declaring the final result.
Proceedings were disrupted by party loyalists chanting, amid controversy that has ensued between the AC and the PDP over results of Ido-osi local government.
The Ido-Osi election which effectively clinched the victory for the PDP by 12,146 ballots was validated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday, despite protests from the opposition, who allege that most of those votes were collated in a police station rather than at the designated collation centre.
Femi Kila, a serving senator from Ekiti state and a member of the PDP reacting to the announced result of the Ido-Osi votes count in the Ekiti re-run elections, stated that the electorate voted for Segun Oni simply because he is from that constituency.
“Oni is from Ido-osi and that is why his people voted for him massively. That’s his cubicle.” Mr. Kila said.
He continues; “Fayemi in his own town; Isan, won 78% of the total vote cast from his ward. So you can see that is the situation on the ground and it is not worth …..”
“We have a president that believes in the rule of law so they should go to court” the senator concluded.
An Action Congress leader responding to NEXT’s request for a reaction rebuked the INEC residential electoral commissioner (REC) for her alleged capitulation to ruling party interests on the final result. Niyi Adebayo, a former governor of Ekiti said, “as you can see she (Adebayo Ayoka) has a problem with her conscience.”
” All of a sudden she disappeared and the government declared her wanted. They threatened her in Abuja and she came back here to compromise, she has forgotten her conscience.” Said Mr. Adebayo.
The erstwhile governor of Ekiti state added that “she must do what she said she was going to do before; what was not acceptable, how come it is now acceptable to us today. The point now is that the same result she said must be cancelled before, is it not cancelled today.”
There are reports that Olusegun Oni, the governor elect of Ekiti State will be sworn in at 10:00AM Wednesday morning by the state’s acting Chief judge.
After she declared the winner of the election ,the state commissioner, Mrs Adebayo reiterated that,”anybody who is not happy with the result should go to court-the elections tribunal.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, John Hamza Ahamdu who is in charge of election security has called for police re-enforcements, and they are being deployed to all flashpoints.
