…as Oyebanji debunks claim, says June 20, day of reckoning for critics
Adebayo Adenrele
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the Ekiti State governorship election, Ambassador Dare Bejide, has rejected the outcome of Saturday’s poll, described the process as fundamentally flawed , alleging that it was skewed in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the onset.
Recall that the Returning Officer for the election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Adenike Oladiji declared Oyebanji winner of Saturday’s governorship poll after he secured 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rival, Dr. Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 40,543 votes while the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ambassador Dare Bejide, came a distant third with 12,872 votes.
Speaking with journalists at his residence in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Bejide said the election fell short of democratic standards, alleging widespread vote buying, intimidation of supporters of opposition and manipulation of the electoral process.
The ADC candidate alleged that prominent members of the ruling party openly engaged in vote buying at several polling units, including his polling unit in Ilawe-Ekiti, where he claimed large sums of money were distributed to voters.
“The entire process was skewed from the beginning to the end. What happened on Saturday was a sorry case for democracy in Nigeria. The APC perpetrated what can only be described as electoral robbery against the people of Ekiti State.
“We will study the situation carefully and consult widely. Our commitment remains to democracy and the rule of law, and we shall take appropriate steps in accordance with the law”. He added
Meanwhile, the governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji described the poll as ‘the day of reckoning for critics’, saying the outcome of the poll was a clear validation of his administration’s performance and a demonstration of the people’s confidence in his leadership.
Oyebanji said Ekiti voters were politically enlightened and had consciously chosen continuity because they had seen tangible benefits from his administration’s policies over the last four years.
Oyebanji attributed his victory to the implementation of his administration’s six-pillar development agenda, saying the government had remained faithful to its social contract with the people.
The governor also pointed to the scale of his victory as evidence of the electorate’s endorsement of his administration, challenging critics to cite a similar electoral performance in the country.
His words, “What happened yesterday is the validation of our performance by the people. The people of Ekiti are politically enlightened. They know what works for them and they know when to change a government that is not working.
“If, in their wisdom, they have decided to re-employ us, it means we are doing something right. We had a contract with the people based on our six pillars of administration that straddle important thematic areas.
“In the last four years, we have diligently pursued the implementation of these programmes and I am sure the people have seen the difference our policies have made in their lives.
“Based on that, they have renewed our mandate. They are enlightened enough to know what works for them and they have made a very clear choice that we have a system that is working.
“I challenge all of you to tell me an electoral contest in this country that produced a winner who won in virtually all the wards in a state.
“We have 2,445 polling units cumulatively and our opponents did not win up to 10 units. That speaks to something and we must begin to appreciate what is good when we see it.
“Thirteen parties contested this election and the people have made their choice.
“In 2022, I won with about 187,000 votes. Yesterday’s result was over 300,000 votes. That is an increase of more than 100,000 votes and it says something about the confidence the people have in our administration.
“I don’t understand the definition of voter apathy in this context. People came out to vote. We campaigned across the state. Short of dragging people from their homes to vote, we did our part.
“What happened is not only a validation of our performance in Ekiti. It is also a vote of confidence in the President because the reforms he has introduced have provided resources to the sub-national governments.
“Without those reforms that freed resources to states, there is no way we would have been able to do many of the things we have done for our people.
“In the history of this state, this is the first time that all former governors lined up behind a party and a candidate. It has never happened before.
“This is the first time we ran an election campaign for more than three months without any inkling of violence. There is a saying that a farmer who has diligently tilled the ground has nothing to fear on the day of harvest.
“Those who have not done anything spend their time on social media spreading falsehoods. Yesterday was the day of reckoning and the people have spoken clearly”.
