Ekiti poll: Sanwo-Olu, Lawan congratulate Oyebanji, APC

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, and Ahmad Lawan, president of the Nigerian Senate, have congratulated Biodun Oyebanji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, on his victory in last Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

Oyebanji polled 185,057 votes to defeat Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who scored 82,211 and Bisi Kolawole of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 67,457 votes, which placed him in the third position.

Sanwo-Olu described Oyebanji’s victory as a testament to the good work the APC-led administration has done in Ekiti. He also congratulated the leadership of the party at the federal and state levels on the feat.

In a statement on Sunday by Gboyega Akosile, his chief press secretary, Sanwo-Olu said he was certain the Ekiti people would always vote for the APC.

“I congratulate Biodun Oyebanji for emerging victorious in the gubernatorial election. I must note that our party, the APC and its government under the leadership of Governor Kayode Fayemi has delivered beyond the expectations of the Ekiti people. I, therefore, believe it was only natural for the citizens to reciprocate by voting for our party.”

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On his part, Lawan, in a statement by Ola Awoniyi, his special adviser on media, said the outcome of the election was a reflection of the trust and confidence Nigerians have in the APC. Lawan commended the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) for delivering a poll widely adjudged as free, fair, transparent and hitch-free.

Meanwhile, Segun Oni, the governorship candidate of the SDP, and Kemi Elebute-Halle, the candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP), have rejected the results of the election. Both candidates said on Sunday said they would be approaching the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the poll.

Oni made this known through Owoseni Ajayi, his state collation agent, and former attorney-general of the state. The SDP candidate said the results, as declared by INEC, did not reflect the true decision of the people, lamenting that the process was allegedly marred by financial inducement.

Ajayi, who said he refused to sign the election results, said: “We are rejecting the results because the election was characterised by violence and intimidation of voters.

“As a result, we will definitely challenge these results in the court of law for posterity and generations coming to know that when conducting elections, you must follow the rules and procedures.”

Also, Elebute-Halle, in a statement on her behalf by Femi Eponlolaye, the state chairman of the party, condemned the snatching of ballot boxes, vote-buying and harassment of her party members.

According to her, political thugs and members of a party in Ado-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ikole-Ekiti and Ilasa-Ekiti, among other areas, attacked supporters of my party.

“The victory of Biodun Oyebanji in the just concluded governorship election ordinarily would have been accepted by me, if the election had not been fraught by electoral malpractices.

“In spite of various sensitisation programmes and media publicity against vote-buying, the APC, PDP and SDP actually promoted and encouraged corruption, both at the grassroots and the state levels,” she alleged.