There was jubilation in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Monday
following the victory of Gov. Kayode Fayemi at the Ekiti State
Governorship Election Tribunal, sitting in Abuja.
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| Governor Fayemi |
However, the former Deputy Governor and candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Kolapi Olusola-Eleka insisted that he won
the poll and rejected the judgment.
He said he would appeal the outcome.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the jubilation led to
street processions and traffic gridlock across major locations in the
state capital.
This occurred despite an earlier police order, banning all forms of
protests and demonstrations across the state as a measure to forestall
possible public disorder.
NAN also reports that members of the ruling All Progressives Congress
(APC) in the state trooped out amidst drumming and dancing.
The
broom-wielding party members danced from different directions, carrying
placards and singing victory songs to God, the governor and the party.
The party supporters moved from the popular Ajilosun street, along
Ikere Ekiti Road, and Odo Ado area to the Government House and later
ended their procession at the party’s secretariat, located adjacent to
Fayemi’s political campaign office.
The APC members were led by a House of Representatives candidate for
Ekiti Central Federal Constituency, Mr Sola Fatoba and the Senior
Special Assistant to the Governor on Mobilisation, Mr Tunji Ogunlola.
Ogunlola, who addressed the crowd, said Fayemi had worked very hard
to win the election and that the judgement had confirmed the position of
the party.
Also, State Deputy Chairman of APC, Mr Sola Elesin, said the victory was expected.
Elesin said the party perpetrated no electoral fraud in the election
to warrant the nullification of its outcome, as demanded by the PDP and
its candidate.
“We are happy over the outcome of the election, but we are not in any
way surprised, because as far as we know, transparent election was held
in the July 14 governorship election.
“It was clear that Gov. Fayemi won fair and square, so we were not afraid even if they want to appeal the judgement.
“We are also ready for them, because we have no skeleton in our cupboard. There were no cases of electoral malpractices.
“We had won two litigations since Fayemi came on board. He was taken
to the court on his eligibility to contest the APC governorship primary
and he won.
“He was taken to the election petition tribunal, he also came out victorious.
“We will continue to win because we have no skeleton in our cupboard,” he said.
However, while reacting to the judgment, Prof Olusola dismissed the outcome, saying the party would appeal the judgement.
Olusola, who spoke through the Director of Media of his campaign
organisation, Mr Lere Olayinka said “That was not the last bus stop as
regards the election petition tribunal.
“The law is very clear regarding the hierarchies of courts we can approach to seek redress on this issue.
”We are surely going to appeal the judgement because we know we won the election”.
NAN reports that the tribunal, in its judgement delivered by Justice
Suleiman Belgore, had said that Fayemi was validly elected in the July
14, 2018 governorship election.
The tribunal took the position contrary to what was being canvassed by the PDP’s candidate, Prof Kolapo Olusola.
It said that Fayemi polled a total of 197,459 to defeat Olusola, who
scored a total votes of 178, 022 to emerge first runner-up.
NAN also recalls that the tribunal which began sitting in Ado Ekiti
August 2018 was later relocated to Abuja, over cases of insecurity in
the state.
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