The Ondo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party has rejected the results of Saturday’s governorship election in the state, describing it as a “show of shame.”
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, the state governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, won the election after scoring a total of 366,781 votes, defeating other candidates.
Speaking with journalists on Monday in Akure, the state capital, the SDP chairman, Mr Gbenga Akinbuli, denounced the election, alleging widespread harassment and intimidation of the party’s agents.
He also claimed that many voters were prevented from voting in several polling units, while vote buying was rampant throughout the exercise.
“Our legal team is already working on the outcome of the election,” Akinbuli stated, calling for the cancellation of the election results.
He said, “We sent our agents out. If one agent casts a vote at every polling unit, we should record nothing less than 2,000 votes. How come the results being sent to us reflect such low scores for our party? We reject it outright.
“Our agents arrived at polling units as early as 7 a.m., but they were intimidated and forced out. Voters were not allowed to come out. How can you register over two million voters and then claim less than 600,000 voted? It’s a disgrace to the government of the day. Many voters told me they were scared for their lives and couldn’t come out.
“Our legal team is working on this. We are demanding the immediate cancellation of the election. It was not an election; it was a buyer-and-seller competition.”
The SDP governorship candidate, Mr Bamidele Akingboye, who polled 438 votes, also decried irregularities and malpractices during the election.
Akingboye alleged that SDP members were harassed and intimidated by political thugs in many polling units.
He said, “For the past month, I have been calling on the people of Ondo State to come out and vote. Last Saturday should have been the day Ondo freed itself from the slavery and hunger it has endured, but what I witnessed was shocking.
“In my unit in Okitipupa, Ward 2, Unit 10, they openly engaged in vote buying. I told them that, as a person of integrity, I would not participate in any unlawful acts. This election was marred with irregularities. I firmly believe the results were pre-written.
“There are videos trending online showing shocking incidents, including an elderly woman admitting she accepted money to vote. This is unacceptable.
“Our party will not condone illegality. My chairman has demanded the election’s cancellation, but I am asking to be declared the winner. People intended to vote for me, but our agents were chased out, and thuggery took over. I am the rightful winner of this election, and INEC must declare me as such.”