ADC Candidate Rejects Ekiti Gov Election Result

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election, Ambassador Dare Bejide, has rejected the outcome of the poll.

Naija News reports that Bejide described the election as a “mockery of democracy,” alleging widespread vote-buying, intimidation and irregularities.

He spoke after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, the winner of the election.

Bejide said he was rejecting the result “in its entirety,” insisting that the exercise lacked credibility.

“My immediate reaction is to reject the result in its entirety because the exercise was not credible. You all witnessed what happened. In some polling units, including mine, the atmosphere was almost like a war zone. It is a sad day for democracy,” he said.

He alleged that political appointees and influential figures mobilised thugs and security operatives to influence the election.

The ADC candidate claimed that vote-buying was carried out openly in several polling units without intervention by security agencies.

“The open display of vote-buying shows a failure on the part of the government. If they had performed well, there would have been no need to rely on money to secure votes.

“They should have depended on their achievements to convince the electorate rather than openly buying votes,” he said.

Bejide added that preliminary reviews by his party showed cases of over-voting, alterations and other irregularities.

“We are still gathering and analysing the results. The few we have seen contain evidence of over-voting and alterations. A lot of disturbing things happened during the election. Once we complete our analysis, we will determine the appropriate action to take,” he stated.

Bejide maintained that the results announced by INEC did not reflect the mood of voters, saying the ADC campaigned extensively across the state.

“We went from house to house. We visited artisans, market women, pensioners, and communities across the state. The feedback we received was overwhelming,” he said.

He urged his supporters to remain calm and law-abiding while the party reviewed the results.

“My message to our supporters is to remain calm. It is not over yet. We are studying the results and, when that process is completed, we will know the appropriate steps to take. Everyone should remain peaceful and patient,” he added.

Bejide also confirmed receiving a telephone call from Oyebanji after the declaration of the results.

“Yes, Governor Biodun Oyebanji called me today (Sunday). He said he wanted to visit. I told him I was occupied at the time and asked if we could speak later.

“He said he would call back. He is my brother and not a stranger to me. In fact, he began his political journey from my house in 1996. So whenever he comes, I will listen to what he has to say,” he said.