Hours after he reportedly held a closed-door meeting with Governor Biodun Oyebanji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just-concluded governorship election in Ekiti State, Wole Oluyede, on Monday, rejected the outcome of the poll, saying it didn’t reflect the will of the electorate.
Mr Oyebanji reportedly held a closed-door meeting with Mr Oluyede in the latter’s country home in Ikere-Ekiti, after publicly extending an olive branch to him and the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dare Bejide.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the governor, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner of Saturday’s off-cycle election in the state.
INEC Chief Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Adenike Oladiji, who announced the result on Sunday, said Mr Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat Mr Oluyede, who came a distant second with 40,543 votes.
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Mr Bejide scored 12,872 votes to finish third in the election contested by 14 political parties. The ADC candidate has since rejected the result of the poll.
Also, the Accord Party candidate, Opeyemi Falegan, has also rejected the result and indicated his plan to challenge it at the tribunal.
The Oluyede Campaign Organisation, in a statement by its Director, Media and Communications, Sanya Atofarati, on Monday, alleged that the election was compromised.
Mr Atofarati said that throughout the election, PDP agents, supporters and numerous voters reported widespread irregularities, including vote buying, voter intimidation, harassment of opposition supporters, and other practices that undermined the sanctity of the electoral process.
“These incidents, taken together, cast serious doubts on the credibility of the exercise and the authenticity of the results subsequently declared.
“The declared outcome does not, in our considered view, reflect the true will and democratic aspirations of the people of Ekiti State. The election process was deeply flawed and fell far short of the standards of credibility, transparency, fairness and integrity expected in a democratic society.
“More concerning is the conduct of some security operatives who, rather than maintaining neutrality and ensuring a level playing field, allegedly acted in ways that compromised public confidence in the electoral process. We believe that the actions and inactions of certain security authorities contributed significantly to the atmosphere of fear, intimidation and unfairness witnessed during the election,” he said.
The organisation’s spokesperson noted that the events surrounding the poll suggested that its outcome had been predetermined, thereby depriving the people of Ekiti of the freedom to choose their leaders.
“The events surrounding this election suggest a process whose outcome appeared predetermined, thereby depriving the people of Ekiti State of their fundamental right to choose their leaders freely. This is not only a disservice to democracy but also a dangerous precedent that must not be allowed to stand,” he said.
Mr Atofarati assured the people and the party’s supporters that the organisation remained committed to pursuing justice through lawful and democratic means available.
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“We wish to assure our supporters and the good people of Ekiti State that we remain committed to the pursuit of justice through all lawful and democratic means available to us. We urge our members, supporters and indeed all lovers of democracy to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while we continue to consult widely and take appropriate steps to defend the mandate freely given to our candidate.
“Democracy thrives when the votes of the people count and when institutions entrusted with safeguarding the electoral process discharge their responsibilities impartially and courageously. We therefore call on all relevant stakeholders, including electoral and security institutions, to uphold the principles of justice, fairness and accountability in the interest of our democracy, ” the statement said.
