BREAKING: APC’s Oyebanji declared winner of Ekiti Governorship Election
In what appears to be a test of what 2023 general elections outcome will be especially in the South West following Northern All Progressives Congress (APC)’s governors ensuring of the party’s presidential ticket handed to South’s Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ekiti State’s keenly contested governorship election on Saturday concluded with APC’s candidate, Biodun Oyebanji as winner and by implication Governor-elect.
Declaring the winner, Prof Oyebode Adebowale, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s Returning Officer for the election, said “Oyebanji, having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and returned elected as the governor-elect of Ekiti State.”
Adebowale, who is the Vice Chancellor, the University of Ibadan, said Oyebanji polled a total of 187,057 to win the election.
“That I, Prof. Oyebode Adebowale, hereby certified that I am the returning officer of the Ekiti 2022 Governorship Election held on June 18.
“That Biodun Oyebanji, the candidate of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned,” Adebowale declared.
While giving breakdown of votes, Adebowale said that Mr Segun Oni, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, scored 82, 211, to come second.
Others were the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chief Bisi Kolawole, who polled 67,457; Accord (A) scored 166; African Action Congress (AAC) 409; All Progressives Grand Alliance,(APGA) 17 while Action Democratic Congress (ADC) polled 141 votes, according to Adebowale.
Also, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) scored 5,597; Allied Peoples Movement (APM) -290; Labour Party (LP) polled 195 votes; New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) scored 529 and National Rescue Movement (NRM) 347.
The rest were, Young Progressives Party (YPP)-618; All Peoples Party (APP) polled 1,980 and Zenith Labour Party,(ZLP) polled 282; Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) polled 856.
He said the total numbers of registered voters were 989,224, accredited voters, 363,438, valid votes were, 351865 and voided votes were 8888.
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,” Punch reported.
The Ekiti South West Local Government area Collation Officer, Prof. Gbolagade Jonathan, said there were issues of ballot snatching at Ward 6 , Units 5 and 7.
Gunmen arrived at the at the polling units when the results were about to be sorted and started shooting sporadically, Jonathan said while given his reports. He said the gunmen carted away the ballot boxes as people run for safety.
He said the two polling units had a total number of accredited voters of 266 and 128 respectively.
