• NBC shuts Ekiti Radio after Fayose declared Olusola winner
• Olusola: We contested against security agencies
• Massive turnout, peaceful conduct as voters elect new governor
• Fayose loses his local govt to APC
• Card Reader malfunctions
Dr. John Kayode Fayemi is on his way back to the Government House, Ado Ekiti, as governor.
Fayemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the end of the collation of results on Sunday morning led his closest rival, Professor Olusola Eleka of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 12 of the 16 local government areas of the state, including Fayose’s Irepodun-Ifelodun Local Government Area.
Results of the election declared by Local Government Collation officers at the State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Ado Ekiti before the final announcement of the winner are as follows:
Ilejemeje LG
APC 4,156
PDP 3,937
Irepodun LG
APC13,869
PDP 11,456
Idi Osi LG
APC 12,342
PDP 11,145
Oye LG
APC 14,995
PDP 11,271
Efon LG
APC 5,028
PDP 5,192
Moba LG
APC 11,837
PDP 8,520
Ijero LG
APC , 14,192
PDP 11,077
Gbonyi LG
APC 11,498
PDP 8,027
Emure LG
APC 7,048
PDP 7,121
Ikere LG
APC 11,515
PDP 17,183
Ekiti West LG
APC 12,648
PDP 10,137
Ikole LG
APC 14,522
PDP 13,961
Ise Orun LG
APC 11,908
PDP 6,297
Ekiti East
APC 12,778
PDP 11,544
Ekiti South West
APC 11,015
PDP ,8423
Ado LG
APC 28,111
PDP 32,810
Turn out of voters was massive and the election was generally peaceful across the state.
Observer groups attested to the peaceful conduct of the election.
There were reports of ballot box snatching in a few places, but the commission said the development was not widespread to affect the outcome of the voting.
Although some voters, including Eleka and Fayemi’s wife, Bisi, were rejected by the card readers, the use of the machines was generally successful.
Governor Ayodele Fayose who will be handing over to the winner of the election accused the police of compromising the election process.
Eleka, his anointed candidate for the election, made a similar allegation, claiming there were moves to tinker with the election result.
That was a few hours after expressing satisfaction at the conduct of the election and appreciating INEC “for being prompt” to his rejection by the card reader in his Ikere Ekiti polling booth.
The police denied involvement in any dirty deal to tamper with the election as alleged.
Fayemi warned Fayose to allow the will of the people to prevail, and desist from any plan to unleash thugs during the election.
In a twist, however, Fayose went on air last night to declare Eleka winner of the election.
In a swift reaction, the regulatory body for the electronic media in the country, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) ordered the immediate shut down of the Ekiti State Broadcasting Service (EKBS) which the governor used for the announcement.
The station’s offence, according to the NBC, was breaching provisions of the electoral act and broadcasting code by allowing the governor declare results of the governorship election when INEC had not announced it.
It described the beach as unacceptable.
Figures collated at the local government level showed that Fayemi had won in Ekiti East, Ekiti West, Ekiti Southwest, Gbonyin, Ido-Osi, Ijero, Ikole, Ilelemeje, Irepodun-Ifelodun, Ise-Orun, Moba and Oye, leaving Eleka to take only Ado Ekiti, Emure, Ikere and Efon LGAs.
Fayose, police trade words over alleged compromise of governorship poll
Moment after casting his vote in his home town of Afao, Governor Fayose alleged that the election had been largely compromised by policemen.
He told reporters that policemen aided and abetted the distribution of money to induce voters.
He, however, admitted that voters turned out massively and conducted themselves in a peaceful manner.
The governor accused policemen of supervising ballot snatching as well as providing cover for those reported to be engaged in illegal sharing of money on election day.
According to him, all attempts to personally report the alleged cases to the police authorities were rebuffed.
“I want to state expressly that the police have hijacked the whole process; INEC might mean well but the process was tampered with by the police.
“As I speak, thugs are having a field day snatching ballot boxes under police watch; this is a national disgrace.
“There were cases of not only ballot snatching, but ballot cleansing and clearing, even as the police and other officers cooperated by looking the other way,’’ he said.
But one of the three Police Commissioners deployed in the area to monitor the gubernatorial poll, Mr. Ali Janga, dismissed the allegations.
He said most of the allegations raised by politicians were promptly investigated and were found to be untrue.
His words: “I have visited some of the local governments and there was no electoral manipulation anywhere as being claimed.
“People just raise false alarm by sending distress calls to us, but many of them were found to be false when we got there.
“Election materials were distributed as early as possible and they were guarded by security men and the turnout was very impressive.’’
He said the odds would not stop Eleka from winning.
Eleka: We contested against security agencies, but I’ll win
The PDP governorship candidate, Prof Eleka, said he was sure of victory after scoring 452 votes in his Unit 007, Ward 2, Okekuru in Ikere-Ekiti.
The PDP candidate, who arrived his unit by 9.10 am, could not vote until 11.10 am because the smart card reader twice failed to verify his Permanent Voter Card (PVC), but he was eventually allowed to vote after he was manually verified.
He said: “After I spoke with the INEC headquarters, they found a way out of it. So I’ve been able to cast my vote after being accredited.
“I’m satisfied, and I want to appreciate INEC for being prompt. I also want to encourage them to find a way out in case it happens to any other person. It doesn’t have to be to the VIPs only. Nevertheless I appreciate their prompt response to this incident.”
The PDP flag bearer said he was sure of victory because it was divinely ordained. Asked for his prediction after casting his vote, he said: “I am a man who lives by faith. Right from the beginning I’ve always known that it’s a journey that is ordained by God.
“And any journey that is ordained by God definitely will be a success. By His grace, God will see me through; I’m going to coast to victory.”
There was a chorus of “Amen” by his supporters and those who accompanied him.
Eleka accused the APC of vote buying, adding that INEC officials and security agents were complicit as, according to him, they did nothing.
He said Ekiti people would still vote for him despite the collecting money from APC, adding that they were not hungry and therefore could not be bought with “peanuts”.
Eleka said: “It is left for the security agencies and INEC to do the needful. Let me be specific. The APC leaders are all round the various wards distributing money.
“They’re at Ogbonjana Ward, at Igelearokun Ward. At the Afin Palace, a former chairman of the local government under APC government was seen distributing money.
“Security agencies were just looking at them at those places, doing nothing. Even in Ikere here. And it’s quite unfortunate.
“INEC should do the needful. We have received reports of APC members who have been distributing money right in the presence of INEC officials and in the presence of security agencies.
“All this have been reported but unfortunately the security agencies turned a blind eye. It’s quite unfortunate that they are not doing the right thing.
“So, I want to advise that appropriate agencies should please rise up and play by the rules.”
Eleka said he had confidence in INEC despite the allegations of vote buying.
“The issue of vote buying should be addressed by INEC. If the security agencies are pretending as if they don’t see what is happening, it is quite unfortunate, because right in their presence, APC stalwarts were seen distributing money.
“But they should remember that Ekiti people are not hungry. They are not poor. They are not people that can be easily deceived by mere peanuts that will be given to them during election time.
“Ekiti people are ready to vote for the man of their choice and that is Kola Olusola-Eleka.”
After the card reader failed to verify his PVC for a second time, Eleka had expressed fears that he might be unable to vote.
And in a statement later in the day, his spokesman, Lere Olayinka said that “aside the fact that it was an election of the PDP versus all the security agencies in the country, we are confident of winning.
“Various wards collating centres have been taken over by armed thugs backed by security agencies as it was before and during the election.
“Despite the intimidation and harassment by security agencies, we are still hopeful of winning the election but we are confronted with a clear plot to manipulate the results.”
He asked well meaning Nigerians to “prevail on the security agencies and INEC to allow the will of Ekiti people to prevail.”
You can’t abort people’s will, says Fayemi
The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation advised Governor Fayose to stop nursing any plan to use thugs to abort the electoral will of Ekiti people as expressed through the ballot.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Wole Olujobi, said it was too late to abort the will of Ekiti people as freely expressed in the election.
He said:”information at our disposal indicates that Fayose is mobilising his thugs to invade the collation centre to disrupt the conclusion of the election in which Fayemi is coasting home to victory.
“The attention of the world and indeed Nigerians is hereby called to the plot by Fayose to stoke violence at collation centres to disrupt the conclusion of this free and fair exercise through which Ekiti people have spoken in a clear language to have Fayemi as the governor of their choice.”
He pleaded with the security agencies to “ be alert to their responsibility to stop this sabotage against the nation’s law.
“The Nigerian law has spoken and Ekiti people have spoken too, and so we want to let Fayose realise that this attempt to abort this legal process will fail,” Olujobi added.
INEC should rectify card readers’ defects, say Olusola, Fayemi, Arise
Earlier yesterday, Eleka , Fayemi and other party chieftains said that the future of electoral democracy might be in jeopardy, unless urgent steps were taken to correct the defects associated with the card readers by INEC.
The party chieftains observed that the failure of card readers at that critical period of accreditation and voting often heightened the anxiety at polling booths and grossly affected public confidence about the surety and certainty of the electoral procedure.
Olusola spoke in his hometown, Ikere, shortly after he was denied accreditation by the failed card reader at his polling unit, before he was allowed to vote by the umpire, following the order of an INEC national commissioner.
He said the electoral commission has a responsibility for ensuring the optimal performance of the electoral machine to prevent disappointment and tension.
Olusola said: “I was surprised that, despite the fact that I was duly registered and captured, the card reader refused to work. There are some instances like that. INEC has a duty to correct these defects.”
Fayemi, whose wife, Bisi, could not vote initially, following the malfunctioning of the card reader at Isan Ekiti, complained about the embarrassment, saying: “If technology will continue to affect the conduct of poll, we need to review it.”
The former Minister said the failed card readers can unleash the challenge of disenfranchisement of the electorate without justification.
He also protested the absence of the incidence form, which had cast doubt on the adequate preparation by the electoral commission.
Fayemi said:”INEC is trying to test run a number of initiatives that they want to do in 2019. There is no incidence form in many places where the card readers failed, what do you do to that voter who is disenfranchised? INEC introduced a whole lot of initiatives; each local government is to be supervised by an INEC national commissioner.
“INEC should intensify efforts in the areas of training and things that foster integrity. Going to vote should be like going to eat. Election should not be war.”
The APC candidate decried vote buying or monetization of voting
He said: “The PDP has been influencing people with money. They even sent the money electronically. BBC reported the collection of money from the PDP leaders to vote. A woman was interviewed. She said she collected the money. But, she brought out her PVC, saying she knew the person she would vote for.”
Fayemi however, disagreed that his party was also involved in vote buying, saying:”We didn’t do vote buying in my party. This democracy must endure and we cannot do anything that can derail it. We buy vote through our developmental programmes of education, health, community development and social security for the aged.”
He said if he won, Ekiti should expect a vigorous implementation of his eight-point agenda designed for the progress of the state and youths, unlike now when youths have become agents of thuggery.
APC chieftain Senator Ayo Arise rated INEC low, saying that the failed card readers underscored a measure of ineptitude.
He also pointed out that the card readers could not detect multiple registration which made some unscrupulous elements to engage in multiple voting in Oye.
He said: “Multiple voting is taking place in Ward 1, Oye. Some people are trying to vote in three places. INEC machine could not detect multiple registrations. Multiple voting is real.
“The clearing process of our database should be pursued. Within a community, it should be difficult for voters to move from one unit to another.
“Multiple voting should not be possible if there is no multiple registrations. In future elections, we should use high risk detector.”
Arise however said that, apart from the defects associated with the machines, the poll was generally peaceful.
Hailing INEC for conducting a transparent poll, an observer group, the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution Abuja, applauded the huge turnout, the promptness of INEC staff, the behaviour of voters and adherence to electoral laws.
A leader of the group, Gabriel Jiya, said: “The turnout is good. The security situation in each of the unit is okay. There is no unruly behaviour among voters.
According to monitors, the exercise was generally peaceful.
In Ido, a member of the House of Assembly, Olayemi Omotoso, complained that APC leaders were instigating security agents to harass PDP agents at polling booths. But, APC leaders in the council denied the allegation.
PDP alleges brutalisation of members, ballot snatching
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged brutalisation of some of its members and snatching of ballot boxes in various parts of Ekiti State by those it called APC thugs.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, also accused security agencies of aiding the clampdown on its members and supporters during the governorship election.
He said: “The entire world has witnessed the desperation of the APC to hijack the reign of governance in Ekiti State through terrorization, snatching of ballot boxes and ferocious assault on Ekiti people, who turned out peacefully to cast their votes.
“The PDP wants all Nigerians and the international community to note the brutal attacks and cruelty being suffered in the hands of President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC just because the Ekiti people seek to freely elect a governor of their choice.
“The PDP is monitoring all events and will make our formal position on the entire process known in due course.
“Finally, we call on all our members and supporters to continue to be at alert and monitor all results to the very end to ensure that nobody, no matter how highly placed alters any result that is in our favour”.
Fayose declares Eleka winner on radio, NBC shuts down EKBS
A fresh round of political drama unfolded in Ado Ekiti last night as Governor Fayose unexpectedly went on air to declare Professor Eleka as the winner of the governorship election.
Fayose’s action came midway into preparation by INEC to begin the official announcement of the result local government by local government.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in a swift reaction ordered the immediate shut down of the Ekiti State Broadcast Service (EKBS) which was used for the alleged illegal broadcast.
The NBC accused the station of breaching provisions of the electoral act and broadcasting code by allowing the governor declare results of the governorship election when INEC had not announced it.
It described the breach as unacceptable.
“The Commission has taken the decision to curb the continued breach of the Electoral Act and the Broadcasting Code on Political Broadcast,” NBC said in a statement.
“The commission is particularly irked by the unauthorised declaration of results by the state governor in the state broadcast station.
“This is after he went on air to make malicious and unsubstantiated comments against INEC, the Police and the SSS. The station will remain shut down until further notice.”
