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INEC Declares APC’s Rotimi Akeredolu Winner Of Ondo Governorship Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, winner of the 2016 Ondo state governorship election. Returning … Continue reading INEC Declares APC’s Rotimi Akeredolu Winner Of Ondo Governorship Election


Ondo Governorship Election, INEC, Rotimi Akeredolu

Ondo Governorship Election, INEC, Rotimi AkeredoluThe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, winner of the 2016 Ondo state governorship election.

Returning officer, Professor Ganiu Amali made the announcement at about 12:50PM on Sunday.

Akeredolu  polled 244, 842 votes to beat his closest rival, Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 150, 380 votes.

Mr Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) follows with 126, 889 votes.

Results from all 18 local governments were announced, including that of Ilaje Local Government Area which had delayed a bit.

Grassroots Development

Jubilation erupted in Akure, the Ondo state capital, with the announcement of Mr Akeredolu as the governor-elect of the state.

With this victory, he is expected to take over from the incumbent Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of the PDP.

The governor-elect has described his victory as a clear demonstration of the will of the people of Ondo state.

He believes that “the people have spoken and have indeed spoken well”, as he would go straight into work, to bring about improvement in all aspects of the state’s economy.

According to him, “there has been obvious neglect of people in the rural areas, and his government will focus more on grassroots development.

This is the second time he would be contesting to be governor of Ondo state.

He lost the first time to Governor Olusegun Mimiko of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Violence Free Election

The election which many had feared would be characterized by violence, given the tension that preceded the exercise, has however been adjudged peaceful.

Although violence erupted a day before the polls took off, leading to the unfortunate killing of one person, the Federal Government ensured the deployment of 26,000 policemen and 15,000 personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to avoid a further breakdown of law and order.

There was also a call by the PDP candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, for a postponement of the election owing to his inability to campaign due to INEC’s initial removal of his name as PDP candidate.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), had dropped Mr Eyitayo Jegede and published the name of Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP candidate, forcing Jegede to head to the Court of Appeal to retrieve his ticket.

It was only few days to the election that the Court of Appeal announced Jegede as the rightful candidate of the party, after a go-ahead by the Supreme Court.

The electoral body, however insisted that it would not shift the election, as it had printed and initiated processes for the election.