Ondo guber poll: Akeredolu in early lead

An unofficial result reaching NEWSVERGE says, Mr. Rotimi Akerdolu, of All Progressives Congress (APC) is leading in the November 26 Ondo State Governorship election.

According to the results from the 18 local councils of the state obtained by our reporter on ground which are subject to authentication by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Akeredolu, had won in 10 councils while the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, had the upper hand in eight councils.

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The official results are expected to be announced today.

Election observers in the State have described the election as peaceful with impressive voters’ turnout. Electoral materials and officials arrived on time in most locations.

Voting commenced by 8am and ended by 2pm while sorting and counting of ballots took place almost immediately.

An old woman who came out to exercise her franchise in the Ondo State governorship election

The election was said to have been highly monetised as voters were allegedly induced with money before voting. Sources said between N400,000 and N450,000 were sent to each of the 3,009 units in the state by a particular party.

Security agents, according to the source, looked the other way as voters were given between N3,000 and N6,000 each to vote.

According to the unconfirmed results, Akeredolu cleared the results in Owo and some units in Akure, the state capital, while Jegede cleared the poll in Akure, Ondo and in some units in Akoko.

Surprisingly, Jegede could not win in Akure, his home town, with a large margin as expected even though he won his polling unit with a wide margin.

The PDP candidate polled 184 votes at St. Brendan’s Primary School, Akure unit where he voted. Akeredolu got 77 votes while the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, Olusola Oke, scored 32 votes.

Oke, came a distant third in the unit results received in Ondo Central and North senatorial districts.

Reports had it that Oke was leading in the units result from Okitipupa council area of the state.

Large turnout of voters at a primary school premises in Akure

Governor Olusegun Mimiko, won in his Unit 020 Ward 7 with 176 votes to APC’s 40 votes and AD’s 25 votes.

Also in Unit 021 Ward 7, the governor’s party PDP, polled 92 votes while APC got 23 and AD 31 votes. Akeredolu in Oke Ijebu Ward 5 won with 413 votes while PDP scored 13 and AD 4 votes. Jegede polled 184 votes in his Unit 009 ward 2 Isikan/ gbogi to defeat APC which scored 77 and AD 32.