8:46am Sunday
The All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi has been declared winner in the Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti.
Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the Chief Returning Officer for the election and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, said Fayemi polled 197,459 votes to emerge winner.
Olayinka made the declaration at the headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday.
It was reported that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, came second with 178,121 votes.
The PDP has, however, rejected the results, saying that the election was marred by irregularities and attacks of its members and supporters.
The party’s agent at the collation centre, Mr Sunday Olowolafe, urged the commission to stay action on the declaration of a winner until a re-run was conducted where there were established cases of violence, vote-buying and ballot-snatching.
Other results declared by Olayinka were Accord, 250; Action Alliance, 41; ACD, 1149; AD, 216; ADB, 1082; ADA, 107; AGAO, 31; ANRP, 125; APA, 1199; and APDA, 464.
Also declared were APGA, 70; ANPP, 14; DA, 14; DPC, 147; DPP,181; FJP, 42; GPN, 20; I.D, 31;, KOWA, 23; LP, 280; MMN, 35; MPN, 23; NDLP, 44; NPC, 353 PANDEL, 74; and PGC, 1242.
The rest are DPA, 632; PPN, 107; SDO, 367; UDP, 29; UPN, 33; YDP, 31 and YPP, 49.
Olayinka said the total valid votes in the election was 384,594 while total votes cast was 403,451, with 18,857 votes invalidated.
Fayemi is expected to take over from the incumbent, Mr Ayo Fayose, on Oct. 16, 2018.
00.39am – OFFICIAL: The final result for Ido Osi LGA. APC: 12342; PDP: 11145
00.37am – OFFICIAL: The final result for Gbonyin LGA. APC: 11498; PDP: 8027
23.53pm – OFFICIAL: The final result for Efon Alaye LGA. APC: 5028; PDP: 5129
23.41pm – OFFICIAL: The final result for Ifelodun LGA. APC: 13869; PDP: 11456
23.30pm – OFFICIAL: The final result for Moba LGA. APC: 11837; PDP: 8520
23.21pm – OFFICIAL: The final result for Oye LGA. APC: 14995; PDP: 11271
10:34pm – OFFICIAL: The final result for Ilejemeje LGA. APC: 4153; PDP: 3937
_____________________________
The final result for Ilejemeje, one of the 16 local govts in Ekiti has been announced.
APC: 4153;
PDP: 3937
Ijero LGA collation of results:
IJERO Ward B
Total number of registered voters 5333
Accredited voters 2434
APC 1213
PDP 990
Ijero Ward A
Total accredited voters 2059
PDP 922
APC 955
Efon Alaye LGA collation of results:
EFON ALAYE WARD 2
TOTAL VOTE CAST 894
VALID VOTE: 878
REJECTED VOTE: 16
APC – 424
PDP – 431
Efon 3
Number of registered voters 2590
TOT VOT CAST 1200
TOT VALID VOTE 1149
APC 535
PDP 599
Ward 6 EFON LGA
TOTAL VALID VOTE 696
REJECTED 30
TOTAL VOTE CAST 726
Accredited 726
APC320
PDP362
Efon ward 7
Registered Voters 2015
Accredited voters 834
Total Vote Cast 827
Total Vote 814
Rejected Vote 13
APC:510
PDP 295
Efon LGA, Ward 08
VALID VOTE CAST 1236
TOTAL VOTE CAST 1294
REJECTED 58
APC 577
PDP 631
Efon ward 9
Total vote cast 975
APC-413
PDP 506
Ilejemeje LGA collation of results:
Ijesamodu
No of Registered Voters: 1760
No of Accredited Voters: 817
APC 408
PDP 382
Obada
No of Registered Voters:
No of Accredited Voters:
APC 368
PDP 363
Iludun 2 Ward 9
No of Registered Voters: 1643
No of Accredited Voters: 915
APC 399
PDP 483
Iludun 1
No of R Voters: 1550
No of Accredited Voters: 805
APC 407
PDP 364
7:41pm
CDD, PTCIJ release preliminary report of Ekiti election
Two prominent civic groups, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), have released their preliminary report on Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.
The groups, in the report signed by Idayat Hassan and Dapo Olorunyomi for CDD and PTCIJ respectively, observed that “against all the odds, the voting process of the ongoing 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State commenced without significant logistical hitches.
“This may be attributed to the well-coordinated arrangements of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the election to ensure early arrival of election officials and sensitive materials to various Registration Area Centres (RACs) across the existing 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state. The commission is congratulated for the Etrack to track the location and movement of vehicles carrying sensitive election materials in real time to their locations.”
The groups also highlighted the enthusiasm among voters for the election.
“While it is too early to ascertain the level of voter turnout across the State, the electorate has shown a high level of enthusiasm in exercising their franchise, as most polling units visited in the early hours of Election Day had voters already waiting for INEC officials to arrive and commence accreditation and voting by 8am.
“At the start, the voting process was conducted peacefully in most polling units visited by our observers. A few hours into the vote, however, there were few reported cases of violence-related incidents. In some of the polling units visited, we observed that the security personnel conducted themselves responsibly concerning their response to curtailing vote trading.”
On the role played by security agencies in the election, the statement said, “Correctly, we observed security agents preventing voters from taking their phones into voting cubicles. It had been noted that some voters were taking pictures of their ballot papers as evidence of their vote to claim incentives from agents of political parties at polling units. It was reported that in Ijero Local Governance Area (LGA), Ward A, Polling Unite (PU) 003, the Department for State Security (DSS) asked that no one should go with his or her phones into any voting cubicle.
“Our observation revealed that voting commenced between 8am and 9am, with relatively few delays experienced across the state.”
In their interim report of the election, the groups also highlighted the recurring problem of card readers malfunctioning.
“However, the voting process suffered a few hitches due to a couple of factors. Most prominent is the smart card reader challenge. In some polling units, the card readers failed to read the fingerprints of voters correctly. To address this challenge, some of the INEC officials requested that voters clean their hands with spirits to make their prints more visible. In the same vein, some voters were initially rejected for invalid biometrics. The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Olusola Eleka, was widely reported to have had trouble voting following a failed card reader in his PU,” they said.
5:59pm
PDP accuses APC of snatching ballot boxes, says Fayemi’s thugs attacking members
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Saturday lamented over what it termed “APC’s neutralization of our members and snatching of ballot boxes” in the ongoing Ekiti state governorship election.
PDP made the claim while alleging that its members were been attacked by thugs hired by the APC.
A statement by PDP’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan alleged that these thugs were aided by “compromised” security operatives.
The statement reads, “We have noted and believe that the whole world has noted too, the harassment, intimidation and violent attacks on our members and supporters by thugs hired by the All Progressives Congress (APC) who are being aided by some compromised security men brought in by the APC to perfect the aggression against our members at the election.
“The entire world has witnessed the desperation of the APC to hijack the reign of governance in Ekiti State through terrorization, snatching of ballot boxes and ferocious assault on Ekiti people, who turned out peacefully to cast their votes.
“The PDP wants all Nigerians and the international community to note the brutal attacks and cruelty being suffered in the hands of President
Muhammadu Buhari-led APC just because the Ekiti people seek to freely elect a governor of their choice.
“The PDP is monitoring all events and will make our formal position on the entire process known in due course.
“Finally, we call on all our members and supporters to continue to be at alert and monitor all results to the very end to ensure that nobody, no matter how highly placed, alters any result that is in our favour.”
5:36pm
PDP candidate, Eleka insists he’d win guber election
Deputy governor of Ekiti state and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Olusola Eleka has expressed optimism that he would win Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
Eleka spoke shortly after he cast his vote at unit 001, ward 001, Okeruku, in in Ikere-Ekiti.
The deputy governor had earlier encountered challenges before he could vote as a result of the non-recognition of his Permanent Voters Card
(PVC) by the card reader.
Eleka eventually voted after officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had replaced the card reader in his polling centre.
He expressed worry over initial challenges experienced in voting, just as he observed that there are irregularities in some part of the state during the election.
The governorship candidate raised the alarm over alleged attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the election by conniving with the security agencies and INEC.
The election was going on peacefully in all parts of Ikere Local Government Area as at press time.
4:52pm
Fayose accuses police of hijacking guber poll despite people’s peaceful conduct
The Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose on Saturday alleged that the gubernatorial election that took place in the state was largely compromised by men of the Nigerian police.
AFRI POST reports that the governor, who addressed newsmen shortly after casting his vote at exactly 1:20pm, at his Unit 001, Afao Ekiti, his country home, alleged that policemen aided and abetted open distribution of money and ballot snatching.
He however agreed that voters turned out massively and conducted themselves peacefully,.
The governor alleged that policemen were reported to be supervising ballot snatching as well as providing cover for those engaged in illegal sharing of money on the election day.
According to him, all attempts to personally report the alleged incidents to police high authorities were rebuffed.
Fayose claimed that most of the observers that came to monitor the poll in different parts of the state got wind of the attacks, but that there was nothing they could do to stop the situation.
The governor declared that the candidate of PDP, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka would still win the poll despite all odds.
He said information at his disposal revealed that INEC seemed to have good intention about the election, but expressed regrets that policemen allegedly thwatted such efforts.
“I want to state expressly that police have hijacked the whole process, INEC might mean well but the process was tampered with by the police
” As I speak, thugs are having a field day snatching ballot boxes under police watch, this is a national disgrace.
” There were cases of not only ballot snatching, but ballot cleansing and clearing, even as the police and other officers cooperated by looking the other way.
“In all the Local Governments, chieftains of my party are also being arrested indiscriminately and bundled into detention this morning for no just cause, and the list include my Chief of Staff, PDP Senators, Reps among others
“The situation was so bad that people distributing money to secure votes were doing so while sitting side by side with policemen”, the governor claimed.
3:59pm
INEC speaks on conduct of election
Speaking at the end of voting in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) believes that the exercise recorded 90 per cent success.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof. Abdulganih Olayinka, disclosed this to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti while assessing the electoral process.
He said that reports from the eight INEC Commissioners in the field indicated that the election was largely peaceful across the state.
Olayinka said he was glad to hear that all INEC personnel, including ad hoc staff, got to their various polling unit in good time and the election started early and uniformly.
“Except for Agboyin Local Government Area where it was alleged that ballot materials were scattered on the ground and in one or two places where the card reader malfunctioned, all was well,” he said.
The REC pointed out that identified problems in the electoral process had been addressed, adding that no “incident form” was used in the exercise.
3:50pm
How voting went on in parts of Ekiti
Ekiti gubernatorial poll may end earlier than expected as voting is going on peacefully across most local government areas of the state.
Impressive turn-out on Saturday greeted the governorship election in most voting centres across the 16 Local Governments and 177 electoral wards in Ekiti state, despite initial tension that enveloped the state few days to the poll.
In every place visited, the voters who were on unprecedented long queues, are not only cooperating with security agents, but are also displaying restraints.
There are enough security men in virtually every polling booth while there is hardly any complaint about late arrival of election materials.
As at the time of filing this report, the only problem on ground was that of controlling the surging crowd of voters who keep trooping to various voting venues.
However, there are reports of skirmishes by some people coming to perpetrate open inducement of voters.
But none of the 35 participating parties could own-up to the inducement allegation, as the parties trade blames.
It was learnt that highest money doled out as inducement in some instances was N5,000, while the lowest was N3,000.
At Iyin-Ekiti, hometown of former governor Niyi Adebayo, who is the newly-elected Deputy National Deputy Chairman, (South) of APC, elections are going on smoothly in the two wards in the town.
Same scenario played out at Ise-Ekiti, hometown of a former Works Minister and a gubernatorial aspirant under PDP, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, where scores of eligible voters that trooped, also shunned violence and conducted themselves peacefully.
DAILY POST reports that Adeyeye, who voted at about 9:30am, commended the electorate, security agents and INEC for their conduct at the polls.
3:27pm
Show maturity by accepting defeat if you lose – Olukere urges politicians
The Olukere of Ikere, Oba Ganiu Obasoyin, has urged any party who eventually loses the ongoing governorship poll in Ekiti state to accept defeat in the spirit of peace and stability.
He also said that incidents of voting buying, violence have not been witnessed in his area which is Odo Ise ward, unit 2 in the palace of the Olukere.
Although he accepted that some parties have been sharing money to electorate since Friday, he said the security agents have been on top of their game protecting the electorate and haven’t intimidated anyone.
Olukere said there has also not been any incident of poll snatching.
The monarch said: “In all contests there will be a loser and winner, whoever loses should be fair enough to accept defeat. I appeal to politicians and our people to accept the poll results.
“Election have been free and fair. The FG has done well by providing adequate security in Ikere. There has not been any intimidation or compromise by the security agents.
“Politicians are full of propaganda. In Ikere, we have no case of votes buying although we heard that some people have been distributing money since Friday.”
The monarch urged politicians and their followers to shun hatred for others simply because they are not from their own political parties.
3:27 am
Fayemi wins his polling unit
Kayode Fayemi, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, has been declared winner in his polling unit of Isan Ward 11, Unit 9.
The results confirmed by the agents of the various political parties are:
APC- 186
PDP – 2
APA – 1
Unused papers – 145
Total registered voters – 345
3:08pm
Ekiti election: Fayemi votes, says the will of electorate will prevail
Former governor of Ekiti State and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Kayode Fayemi, has voted in his ward at Ogilolo ward 11, unit 009 in Isan Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
Fayemi voted around 10:45am in company of some of his aides and party supporters after being on the queue for a period of ten minutes.
The former minister described the process as credible and peaceful, saying the will of the people will prevail.
“Nigerians decided to chose democracy over dictatorship and that is why all of us must guard this democracy jealously”, he said.
He however, raised reservation about the news that the smart card readers were malfunctioning in some towns.
The incident was pronounced in Ayede Ekiti, where people complained that their fingerprints were not detected by the machine.
Speaking further, Fayemi said: “With the news we have been gathering around, the process has been okay for now. So, I have faith in this election and I know the people of Ekiti will judge me based on what I did when I presided over this state and what this government is doing.
They can see that the difference is clear”.
Also voting at his unit in Ayede Ekiti, Osinkolu ward 9, unit 002, a chieftain of the APC, Dr. Segun Osinkolu , praised the security agencies and INEC for doing a good job in the election.
Osinkolu said the security arrangements were organized in a decent manner, saying this will add to the credibility of the poll.
3:05pm
Ekiti election: I’ll win despite ‘votes buying’ by other candidates – Omoyeni
The governorship candidate of the Mega Party, Chief Bisi Omoyeni, has stated that although other political parties are allegedly buying votes, he will still win the election.
He alleged that some political parties had been buying votes by giving money to voters.
Omoyeni however told reporters that he will come out victorious because he was the best of all the candidates.
He said, “My expectation is that I will win this election. Ekiti people do not want those ones, they know them and they know I am the best.
“I learnt people have been distributing money to buy votes. INEC should not allow this, security agents should not allow this.
“If we allow this to continue. Then we may not have true democracy.”
- 59 pm
Voting has started in most of the towns in today’s governorship election holding in Ekiti State.
As early as 6.30 am, the voters were already at the polling units awaiting election materials. In places monitored in Ado Ekiti, Ifaki Ekiti, Ayegbaju and Oye,
Iworoko, voting has started in earnest.
Security arrangements were also superb in those towns as the policemen were civil and on top of the game. At Ayegbaju Ward 4, unit 002, the European Union Ambassador in
Nigeria, Mr Keti Karlsen, hailed the peaceful manner with which the election commenced. Karlsen said: “As at 9.17 am, the election has been peaceful. I have been to five polling units and the process has been credible enough.
“This election is going to be a litmus test to 2019 elections. This election is a precursor to the 2019 elections and its success is very crucial to us.
“The EU has been supporting INEC on voter education, how to encourage people with disabilities among others.
“We have seen large turnout of people and the enthusiasm for people to elect a governor that can represent them well.
“I believe this election will be credible if it ends like this”, he said.
12:13 pm
PDP members allege APC thugs kidnapping their party agents
Members of the Peoples Democratic party in Ado-Ekiti are currently alleging that some persons suspected to be thugs of the All Progressives Congress, are kidnapping the party agents of the PDP and security agents are merely watching such dramas.
In Agric Matthew, CAC primary school areas of Ado Ekiti, PDP members alleged the foregoing development is happening.
In Oke Ila, Okeyinmi, the members are alleging that the opposition are not allowing their members to vote.
They also alleged that security operatives have compromised by moving too close to voting points and inducing electorate to vote for the opposition.
10.38 am.
Tension as card reader rejects PDP candidate’s Card , Olusola Eleka
There was palpable tension and obvious intrigues as card reader failed to recognise the fingerprint of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Professor Olusola Eleka at his Ikere-Ekiti country home, thereby denying him of exercising his civic responsibility.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission had earlier declared that there would not be provision for incidence form as an alternative to allow electorate exercise their franchise if card reader fails.
Eleka, in his reaction, expressed worry over the incidence, calling for immediate action to rectify the error for him to cast his vote.
“I cannot say that I do not have confidence in the electoral process, but I am worried, and I do not really understand what is really happening.
“The card reader could not recognise my card, they said may be it is bent, but you can see it, it is straight.
“I think I am still the only person being affected here, as others are casting their votes without hindrance.
“I believe the commission will do something very fast to find solution to this “, he said.
9:42 am.
Accreditations, voting commence in Ise, Emure
Reports from Ise-Orun and Emure LGAs as at 9:40am has it that accreditation and voting have commenced in the areas.
As press time, INEC card readers are working perfectly amid peaceful and calm atmosphere.
Some people who have cast their votes are still waiting behind for the result to be announced.
9.31 am:
Reports of card reader malfunctions, absence of INEC Ad hoc staff in Ekiti West
There are reports that in Ekiti West at about 9: am, no staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was on ground as electorates are still waiting for arrival of electoral materials.
Report says few security personnel could be seen manning some polling units.
However, reports from some other polling units showed that the INEC card readers are having technical fault while the electoral officers are sweating it out to fix them.
Early, massive turnout of voters in Ado-Ekiti
There was an early turnout of voters in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as electorate already trooped out as early as 6.00 am, trekking long distances to get to their polling units.
Some were trekking as long as five kilometres to be able to vote for the candidates of their choice.
The large turnout could not be unconnected with the high mobilization drives by the two dominant parties, the All Progressives Congress and the
Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
The massive turnout was noticed in Odo Ado, Ijigbo, Ajilosun, Adebayo area, Ilotin, Oke-Bola, Atinkankan, Okeyinmi ke ila. The polling units in those areas already have long queues of prospective voters.
As at 6.45 pm, security and election materials were already arriving in those units.
Some of the voters trekked from hamlets located at Eminrin Erunfun located along Afe Babalola University way in the state capital to the heart of Ado Ekiti to exercise their franchise rights.
Today’s election is going to be a straight fight between Dr Kayode Fayemi of the APC and Prof Kolapo Olusola of the PDP.
Today, July 14, 2016, the electorates in Ekiti, the Fountain of Knowledge would march to polling booths across the state to elect a new governor of the state.
The eventual winner of today’s contest will take over from Peter Ayodele Fayose, the incumbent governor.
Fayose is expected to take a bow from the government house having successfully completed his tenure as enshrined in the constitution.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had since released names of 40 successful candidates, who have indicated interest in becoming the next governor of the state and met the requirements.
However, among the 40 contenders, 34 candidates will participate in the poll as some candidates withdrew few days to the election.
Two persons have, however, been tipped for the position.
The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the current deputy governor of the state, Professor Kolapo Olusola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the two top contenders.
Hence, the Saturday election has been widely narrowed down as a straight contest between Fayemi, a former governor of the state, and Kolapo, Fayose’s deputy.
While Fayemi is having the support of the APC-led government, Kolapo is enjoying the support of his boss, Fayose and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.