INEC declares Akeredolu winner of Ondo gubernatorial election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been declared, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner of the Ondo State Governorship election held on Saturday 26, November 2016.

Mr. Akeredolu was declared winner on Sunday at the Ondo State Headquarters office of the Independent National Election (INEC) in Alagbaka area of Akure.

According to reports across the state, the large turnout of voters for the governorship election was impressive most especially in the Northern and Central Senatorial Area of the state which has the largest concentration of residence.

Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate polled a total vote of 244, 842 to defeat the trio of Eyitayo Jegede of the crisis ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Olu Agunloye of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Mr. Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 150, 380 votes while Mr. Oke of Allaince for Democracy (AD) scored 126, 889 votes while Olu Agunloye of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) polled a total votes 10,147 votes during the Saturday’s governorship election.

Our reporter on ground reported that the difference in the total votes won between Mr. Akeredolu and his main challenger in the race, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede was 944, 62 votes.

Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, the returning officer, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, however, declared that Mr. Akeredolu won the governorship contest having scored the highest valid votes in the Saturday’s poll.

Prof. Ambali said there were 1, 647, 973 registered voters, while 584, 997of the registered voters were accredited with 580, 887 voters casting their votes in the election.

He said out of the 551, 272 of the votes cast recorded as valid votes 296, 615 votes were rejected in the results.

“That Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” declared.

The governorship election was held in the 3009 polling units of the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo state with presence of police officers at the polling booths visited.

Twenty seven political parties participated in the weekend election which witnessed little record of violence mostly in the Southern senatorial Area of the state.

It was reported that thugs snatched ballot boxes and card readers in Ifira Akoko Area in Akoko South East while armed thugs also held hostage some INEC staff members traveling with election materials to Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state.

Dr. Olayiwola Fasoranti, the Collation Officer for Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state who disclosed this at the INEC office added a boat conveying electoral officers from the area capsized.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has described the just-concluded governorship election in the state, which returns Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) as the winner, as unprecedentedly peaceful, free and fair in the history of the state.

In a statement signed by the Party’s Publicity Secretary, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the prompt arrival and delivery of electoral materials to the three thousand and nine (3,009) polling units across the state.

He also applauded the Simultaneous Accreditation and Voting System adopted by INEC as landmark, saying it was largely responsible for the absence of electoral malpractices and violence.

Adesanya praised the electorates and the good people of Ondo State for their peaceful conduct before, during and after the election. Even in the face of provocations, intimidations, harassments and the clamour for the repeat of the 1983 violence in the State, where scores of people were killed.

“Furthermore, we salute the professionalism of all security agencies before, during and after the Guber poll. We commend specially the sacrifices of the security agents that were deployed from various various to Ondo State. We therefore wish them journey mercies to their various States.

“We wish to assure the good people of Ondo State that the government of Ondo State under the leadership of the governor-elect, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) will be a regime of a new dawn where indices and traces of dictatorship, tyranny and corruption shall have no breathing space, the statement reads.