The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the just-concluded Ekiti State governorship election, Wole Oluyede has rejected the outcome of the poll, saying it did not reflect the will of the electorate.
Oluyede’s rejection came hours after he was said to have held a closed-door meeting with Governor Biodun Oyebanji at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, it was reported.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election.
The Chief Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, said on Sunday that Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes.
Oluyede trailed with 40,543 votes while the African Democratic Congress candidate (ADC), Dare Bejide, garnered 12,872 votes.
PDP Complains Of Irregularities
The Oluyede Campaign Organisation’s Director, Media and Communications, Sanya Atofarati, in a statement on Monday, alleged the election was compromised.
He cited alleged vote buying, intimidation of voters, harassment of opposition supporters and conduct likely to undermine the process.
“When viewed collectively, these incidents raise serious questions about the credibility of the exercise and the authenticity of the results declared thereafter.
“The declared outcome does not in our considered view reflect the true will and democratic aspirations of the people of Ekiti State,” Atofarati said.
Some security operatives, Atofarati said, were eroding the confidence of the public in the election.
“More troubling 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,” he said.
He added that the events around the poll showed that the result has been predetermined.
The campaign organisation urged supporters to remain calm as consultations continued on the next course of action.
The statement continued, “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.”