Ekiti PDP governorship candidate questions poll, weighs next move
By Boye Oyeyemi
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the June 20 Ekiti State election, Dr Wole Oluyede, has faulted the conduct of the poll, describing it as falling short of the standard of a free, fair and credible election.
Oluyede said he was consulting with the leadership of the party, his lawyers and members of his legal team before deciding on his next line of action following the outcome of the election.
In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, the PDP candidate thanked party members and supporters for remaining steadfast throughout the election, despite the outcome announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
INEC had declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress winner of the election with 319,224 votes, while Oluyede came second after polling 40,543 votes.
Expressing appreciation to PDP supporters, Oluyede said those who voted for the party demonstrated courage by refusing to compromise their conscience, adding that their commitment to the party would not be forgotten.
He, however, insisted that reports received from party agents across the state’s 16 local government areas, alongside his personal assessment of the exercise, indicated that the election was marred by alleged voter inducement, intimidation, operational challenges involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, delayed accreditation and other irregularities that deserved an impartial review.
“Based on reports from our polling agents and the information available to our campaign, I believe the election fell below the standard of a free, fair and credible exercise that the people of Ekiti deserved,” he said.
Oluyede added that any decision on the outcome of the election would be guided by the rule of law, respect for democratic institutions and the interests of PDP supporters. He also criticised some unnamed politicians who, according to him, had benefited from the PDP before turning around to dismiss the party’s relevance in the state, while reaffirming his commitment to defending democracy and the interests of Ekiti people.
