It’s Fayose

A former governor of Ekiti State and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ayo Fayose, has emerged the winner of the state’s governorship election held on Saturday.

Fayose got majority votes in all the 16 local government areas announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The three major contenders in the Saturday poll were the Governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi, of the All Progressives Congress; Bamidele Opeyemi of the Labour Party and Fayose, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party.

Some of the results from the local government areas are as follows: Oye Local Government Area, APC got 10,176 and PDP had 11,200 votes. At the Emure Local Government, APC received 4,332 votes; Labour Party,1,527 and PDP 7,086.

The results from the Ilejemeje Local Government Area showed that Fayose of the PDP led with 3.670, APC, 3,336 and Labour 165.

At Ikere Ekiti Local Government Area, PDP polled 16,197, APC, 7,989 and Labour 585. In Ikole Ekiti, APC polled 8,804, Labour Party, 1,259 and PDP, 14,238. In Ekiti South West, APC 6,746; LP 1,413; and PDP 11,038. Ijero, APC 9,348, LP 1,554, PDP 13,814. Ifelodun APC 6,834, LP 3,555, and PDP 13, 038.

Before the results were announced, there had been palpable tension around the state. Supporters of the candidates and residents warned INEC against manipulating the result of the election.

They warned against a repetition of what happened at the rerun governorship poll in 2009, when the then Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Ayoka Adebayo, made a volte-face and announced Mr. Segun Oni of the PDP as the winner.

The Chairman, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Ekiti State, Mr. Tunji Ogunlola, said Ekiti people were not ready to go through the tortuous journey of election petition tribunal again.

He said, “Our people are wiser now and I am sure they will resist any attempt to impose an unpopular candidate on them as the winner. INEC should announce the winner of the election and allow peace to reign.”

“Nigeria has too many security challenges it is struggling with and should not add Ekiti to the list of the troubled states.”

Ogunlola recalled that the manipulation of the election result during the rerun supplementary election in 2009 caused a crisis that set the state aback for many years.

He warned that such should be avoided in the interest of peace and development in the state. Another resident of the state based in Ikere, Mrs. Ronke Balogun, told one of our correspondents that INEC and the security agencies should not be used to provoke crisis in the state.

She said, “I am sure that there will be no problem if the winner of the election is announced. We should not be doing things which will promote chaos. Election should be a routine exercise, which should not be war.”

Folasade Gidado, a student of EKSU, said, “The election is a watershed in the history of Ekiti. I hope that INEC will allow the people’s will to prevail.

“All we desire in Ekiti is peace and meaningful development.

“We have been at home for two weeks and I don’t want a situation that will force the management of our school to declare total closure because of safety of students, if violence broke out.

“Also, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, which is the platform of the Nigeria Civil Society Groups, said the group would hold INEC by its words. One of the leaders of the NCSSR, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, who addressed journalists in Ado Ekiti on Friday, had urged INEC to conduct a credible election.

Foremost international law expert, Prof. Akin Oyebode, said the election in Ekiti election was an opportunity for the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to build his reputation.The Ekiti indigene, who is the Head, Department of International Law and Jurisprudence, University of Lagos, said the success or failure of the election would determine what to expect in the August 16 governorship election in Osun State and the 2015 general elections.

He said, “This is the time for Jega and his confederates, after the debacle in Anambra (governorship election). This is the last chance for Jega to display credibility by conducting a free, fair and credible election.”

Oyebode, however, criticised the massive deployment of security forces for the election, describing it as an “over desperation” by the Federal Government.

Students, who have been sent home by the management of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, two weeks before the election are also anxious. Adewale Tosin, a mechanic, was more concerned about his business opportunities. He said, “All I want is peace. I don’t pray for any post-election violence because it will affect our business.”

In his remarks, an EKSUT lecturer, Olajide Akinwumi, said, “There are fears that the outcome of the election will be tainted with allegations of malpractices owing to the allegations and counter-allegations by the opposing parties.”

PUNCH