The Social Democratic Party’s candidate in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, Olusegun Oni, has mulled legal action over vote-buying in the just concluded election.
According to the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday, All Progressives Congress candidate, Biodun Oyebanji won 15 out of 16 local government areas in the state, while Bisi Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party emerged victorious in the Efon Local Government Area.
Oyebanji scored 187,057 votes to defeat Oni, who came second with 82,211 votes, while Kolawole, who came third, polled 67,457 votes.
The SDP state collation agent and former state attorney general, Owoseni Ajayi, said that the results as declared by INEC did not reflect the true decision of the people, lamenting that the process was marred by financial inducement hence the need for legal redress.
Ajayi spoke in the early hours of Sunday after the collation of election results from the 16 council areas and the return of Oyebanji of APC as winner and governor-elect.
He said, “We reject the result of that election because it was fraught with violence, election malpractices, intimidation of voters, purchase of votes and others. The only way we can challenge that is to file our petition at the election petitions tribunal we shall do.
“This will enable generations coming to know that when conducting elections, you must follow the rules and procedures,” the former AG said.
However, the Media Director, Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, Jackson Adebayo, said that the party leadership would meet on the outcome of the election on Monday.
Adebayo said, “The leadership of the party has not taken a decision yet on the election. They will meet tomorrow (Monday), it is then that they will discuss and take a position, which will be made known to the public. Leaders have not met as I speak with you.”
