INEC declares APC’s Oyebanji winner of Ekiti governorship election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof Kayode Adebowale, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, announced the results.
Adebowale said, “Oyebanji, having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and returned elected as the governor-elect of Ekiti State”
Oyebanji, according to the election’s Chief Returning Officer, Professor Kayode Adebowale, polled a total of 187,057 leaving his closest rival, Engineer Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) a distant second with 82,211 votes. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Bisi Kolawole came third with 67,457 votes and 13 other parties participated in Saturday’s governorship election.
Out of the 360,753 votes cast, the total valid votes in the election were 351,865.
While the agent of SDP, Owoseeni Ajayi, did not sign the forms for the votes cast, the agent of the ADP, said, “Instead of having polling centres, what we have in Ekiti are vote-buying centres”.
In addition to his total votes, the APC candidate won in 15 of the 16 local government areas. The exception was Efon which was won by Kolawole who hails from the LGA.
Oyebanji, who until recently was Secretary to the State Government (SSG), was ahead in most of the local government areas where the results had come in last night including Ido-Osi, the local government area of Oni, and Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA where former governor Ayo Fayose hails from.
Each of the three leading candidates won his ward handsomely with Oyebanji recording 296 votes in his Polling Unit 003, Ward 6 in Ikogosi. Kolawole had only one vote there while three votes were voided. Kolawole also won in his Efon LGA.
Oni got 218 or 90 per cent of the total votes cast in his Polling Unit 6, Ward 4 at Ogbon Iro in Ifaki, leaving only 15 for Oyebanji and two for Kolawole.
Kolawole had his own pound of flesh in his Ward 8, Unit 1, Efon Alaye, in Efon Local Government Area, garnering 98 votes, while Oyebanji got 13 votes and Oni two votes.
Governor Fayemi delivered his Polling Unit at Ogilolo Ward in Isan-Ekiti, Oye LGA to the APC candidate with 154 votes to SDP’s 4 and PDP’s 3.
Deputy Governor Bisi Egbeyemi also won his ward in Ado Ekiti for the APC with 109 votes to SDP’s 86 and PDP’s 14.
The APC deputy governorship candidate, Mrs Mojisola Afuye fared well in her Atiba/Aafin Ward in Ikere Ekiti, delivering 165 votes.
But it was a disappointing day for the senator representing Ekiti South, Mrs Biodun Olujimi. Her party polled 110 votes while APC got 141 and SDP 46.
The results were transmitted electronically and that seemed to have aided their comparatively early release for by 7.46 pm yesterday INEC had uploaded results from 2273 out of the 2445 polling units in the state.
Collation subsequently moved to the local government areas.
Following is the standing of the candidates in some of the LGAs at press time:
- Ijero LG
APC—13,754
PDP—–4,897
SDP—–5,006
- Emure LG
APC—7,728
PDP—2,610
SDP—3,445
- Ekiti South West LG
APC—9,679
PDP—4,474
SDP—4,577
- Ikere LG
APC-12,086
PDP—3,789
SDP—1,943
- Moba LG
APC-11,609
PDP—3,530
SDP—4,904
- Ilejemeje LG
APC—4,357
PDP—1,157
SDP—2,344
- Efon LG
APC—4,012
PDP—6,303
SDP—–339
- Ekiti West LG
APC–15,322
PDP—-3,386
SDP—-3,863
- Irepodun/Ifelodun LG
APC–13,125
PDP—-4,712
SDP—-5,010
- Oye LG
APC—13,396
PDP—–4,122
SDP—–5,391
- Ido-Osi LG
APC—10,321
PDP—–2,871
SDP—–9,489
- Ise-Orun LG
APC—8,074
PDP—2,588
SDP—5,909
- Ado LG
APC—23,831
PDP—–7,575
SDP—15,214
- Ikole LG
APC—16,417
PDP—–6,266
SDP—–5,736
- Gbonyin LG
APC—11,247
PDP—-3,947
SDP—-4,059
- Ekiti East LG
APC—12,099
PDP—–5,230
SDP—–4,982
Meanwhile, our correspondents who monitored the exercise across the state reported that in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, residents trooped to the streets to celebrate the victory in the dead of the night.
At the Government House in the Oke Ayoba area of the town, other APC governors, led by the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, monitored the exercise.
Similarly, in Ikogosi-Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area, where Oyebanji hails from, residents also began celebrating the victory of their kinsman at the poll.
Also in Ikere-Ekiti, where Oyebanji’s running mate, Mrs Monitade Afuye, hails from, residents began celebrating as the results were announced by the respective local government Returning Officers.
In different parts of the state also, some members of the ruling party celebrated the victory, describing it as well-deserved.
Our correspondents observed that prior to the announcement of the results at the collation centre, all the results from the 16 local government areas had been uploaded on the Result Viewing Portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, known as IReV.
The election was generally peaceful despite reports of alleged vote-buying in some areas.
Voters also turned out in large numbers.
There were pockets of complaints about the malfunctioning of the BVAS machines.
Ballot snatching was recorded at two polling units in Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti South West Local Government Area.
The Spokesman of the Ekiti State Police, Abutu Sunday, confirmed the incident but said normalcy was restored immediately
He stated the Command arrested four people for disruption of the voting exercise.
Newsflash Nigeria is an online newspaper that is developed and written exclusively for Nigerians. It’s packed with up-to-the-minute Local and National Economy News, Share & Capital Market, Health, Sports, Education, Technology, Business and Opinions.
To make further advert enquiries or place an order, please contact us at [email protected] and +2348053316946 and WhatsApp number 08033546732
FOLLOW US ON GOOGLE
