Ondo: APC hopeful of victory as PDP alleges shoddy conduct

…Indigenes await new governor

… Aiyedatiwa, Ajayi win own polling units

…Widespread vote buying despite security presence

The off-cycle election held in Ondo State Saturday has been said to be largely peaceful across the state. But the candidates of the three major political parties in the race held different views about the conduct of the election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is currently collating the results of the exercise as the people wait with bated breath for the outcome of the exercise.

As the result of the election is being collated, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed the optimism that the outcome would be in their favour.

Olusola Oke, a chieftain of the APC in Ondo State, said he was sure Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa would win the election. Oke, a former governorship aspirant of APC, spoke with newsmen on Saturday shortly after he cast his vote at Unit 005, Ilowo, Ward 003 in Ilaje Local Government area of the state.

He expressed hope that Aiyedatiwa would win the ongoing election, saying that the opposition parties were too weak to win.

“This time has been long waited for. The governorship candidate of the APC will win the election because it is very visible. Because the broom has swung very clean in our direction for victory,” he said.

According to him, “There is no credible opposition in the state and the governor came from an environment where the people have long been yearning for good leadership. I can assure you that the governor will win clean.”

Read also: Widespread vote buying trails Ondo guber poll

But the main opposition in the state, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has picked holes in the conduct of the election.

Agboola Ajayi, the PDP candidate expressed displeasure at the conduct of the election in Kiribo, Ese-Odo Local Government Area.

He said: “If INEC cannot successfully organise an election in just one state, then you must know that we are running into anarchy.

“I think it is deliberate on the part of INEC, on the part of the Resident Electoral Commission (REC). And we have said it severally that we don’t trust Barr. Oluwatoyin Babalola (REC). That this woman cannot be fair.

“The system is compromised and we have series of calls made by everybody. People are complaining of vote buying, BVAS problem. It is a very shameful exercise,” he said.

Agboola also called for the resignation of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman.

Earlier, Abbas Mimiko, candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), had appealed to voters not to sell their votes.

“There’s no good governance in Ondo. Besides that, there seems to be peace from the reports reaching us. The law enforcement agencies seem to be living up to their billing,” he said.

According to Mimiko, “INEC seems to be carrying out their own duties fairly and justly. I had no doubt in my mind that the President will instruct the right things to be done. They won’t be partial. So, it’s left for us, the citizens of Ondo state, to decide not to go the ‘see and buy way’ that is happening all over the place.

“Don’t sell your future for N20,000… the future of your children. Go and vote for a candidate of your choice that will take you out of this poverty to a place of pride.”

Read also: INEC satisfied with Ondo governorship election

Vote buying mars election

Observers said that the election was characterised by widespread vote-buying in most of the local government areas, despite the presence of security agencies and officials of the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

The two main parties and their candidates were fingered in the vote buying.

BusinessDay gathered that the two main political parties bought votes across the three Senatorial Districts, namely- North, South and Central Senatorial Districts with inducement, ranging from N5,000 to N10,000.

In Akure, the Ondo State Capital, both political parties allegedly engaged in vote buying at Ward 02, Polling Unit 3, Eruoba, and Polling Unit 17, Egbedi Ward 11, Owode Imuagun, Akure, located in Arakale market.

But, at Eruoba Electoral Ward, voters were paid undisclosed amount of money for casting their votes by a man, believed to be APC man, designated for the assignment.

At Owode Imuagun, voters were writing down their names after voting as they were thereafter directed to a neaby building where they were paid undisclosed amount of money.

At Ward 4, Polling Unit 007 at St Stephen Primary, Akure there was obvious sharing of money, ranging between N5,000 to N10,000 by both the ruling APC and the PDP when BusinessDay visited the Polling booth.

At Igboroko 2, Ward 3, Polling Unit in Owo where Olayide Adelami the All Progressives Congress’ Deputy Governorship Candidate, cast his votes, APC was reportedly sharing money to induce electorate to vote for them.

BusinessDay observed that vote buying was being done in the presence of Police Operatives and other Security Agencies.

Reports had it that a party member was arrested by the officials of EFCC with two bags containing money believed to be an inducement for voters during the election.

Read also: All eyes on INEC, security agents as Ondo voters decide next governor

Aiyedatiwa, Ajayi win own polling units

Aiyedatiwa of the APC and Ajayi of the PDP won their separate polling units in Obenla, Ilaje Local Government Area and Apoi, Kiribo in Ese-Odo Local Government Area, respectively.

While Aiyedatiwa polled 128 votes at his Polling Unit at Ugbo Ward 4, Obenla in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state, the PDP scored three votes.

At Apoi, Ward 11, Polling Unit 004 at RCM, Idumado Quarters, Kiribo in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Ajayi, recorded 194 votes, while the APC also polled only three votes.

INEC’s BVAS machine fails to capture faces of old people in Ondo

The BVAS machine could not capture the faces of elderly voters in some local government areas of the state.

Angela Oshogwe, presiding officer, in Owode said the machine refused to function when old people came to vote in her polling unit.

Oshogwe manning Poling Unit 19, Ward 11 Olamojuba, Ondo in Ondo West LGA, said she lodged the complaints to the concerned authorities.

She added that the response she got was that the complaint was not limited to her polling unit, stating that the elderly had been waiting for long to vote without success.

Regarding the complaint, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the chief press secretary to INEC chairman, stated that the commission was aware of the development in very limited polling units.

“We are aware that in very limited cases, a few elderly voters couldn’t be accredited by the BVAS at first attempt. But, in subsequent attempts, the problem was resolved.

“A presiding officer in one polling unit out of 3,933 PUs in Ondo state is not in the position to say how widespread a technical problem is. From the reports at our disposal, so far, the BVAS is performing satisfactorily.

“It is not unusual for technical issues to occur in a major off-season election like the one we are conducting today.

“We anticipated it and made adequate arrangements to respond to any type of challenge,” Oyekanmi said.

A septuagenarian, Agnes Olapade, who was affected by the technical problem, said that she was disappointed that she could not vote due to a malfunction of the BVAS.

Olapade said she had been at the polling unit, with other affected elderly voters, since 8:00 a.m. without being able to vote. According to her. She voted in the previous elections without any difficulty.

Similarly, Rukayat Olawoye, 87 years old, said she came out because of the voting but was disappointed at the difficulty occasioned by the BVAS.

Another septuagenarian, Ronke Fayankimi, stated that she and other were affected.

The people of Ondo State are currently awaiting the outcome of Saturday’s gubernatorial election to see who will pilot the affairs of the state for another four years.

About 1,757,205 registered voters were to take part in yesterday’s election which was held across the 18 local government areas of the state.