Buhari Congratulates Ekiti Gov-elect As SDP, ADP Head to Court

20 Jun Buhari Congratulates Ekiti Gov-elect As SDP, ADP Head to Court

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday congratulated the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, saying that the victory affirmed acceptance of All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is even as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Democratic Party (ADC) are heading to the tribunal to challenge Oyebanji’s victory at the polls.

The President, in a statement on Sunday by Spokesman Femi Adesina,  said the victory was well deserved considering Oyebanji’s contributions to the development of the state and the party before his nomination as the standard bearer.

He, however, urged Oyebanji to be magnanimous in victory in the interest of the people of the state.

Buhari also felicitated with the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, and the National Working Committee (NWC) for the victory, the first under the tenure of the newly elected executives of the party.

“This is a good beginning for you and your team. The APC is getting stronger and more united. The victory of our party in Ekiti is an indication of the confidence of Nigerians in the ability of our great party to deliver quality governance to all,” said the President.

Meanwhile, the SDP candidate in the election Segun Oni, and his ADC counterpart, Mrs. Kemi Elebute-Halle, have rejected the results of the election.

Oni made this known on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, through Owoseni Ajayi, his state collation agent and former Attorney-General of the state, while speaking with newsmen on the outcome of the election.

Similarly, Elebute-Halle said that the victory of Biodun Oyebanji in the just-concluded election was “tainted with vote buying and corruption”.

The SDP candidate said that the results, as declared by INEC, did not reflect the true decision of the people, lamenting that the process was allegedly marred by financial inducement.

Ajayi, who said he refused to sign the election results said, ” We are rejecting the results, because the election was characterised by violence and intimidation of voters.

“As a result, we will definitely challenge the outcomes of these results in the court of law for posterity and generations coming to know that when conducting elections, you must follow the rules and procedures.”

Elebute-Halle, in a statement signed on her behalf by Mr Femi Eponlolaye, the State Chairman of the party in Ado-Ekiti, condemned the snatching of ballot boxes, vote buying and harassment of her party members.

According to her, political thugs and members of a party in Ado-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ikole-Ekiti and Ilasa-Ekiti, among other areas, attacked supporters of my party.

She said, “The victory of Mr Biodun Oyebanji in the just concluded governorship election, ordinarily would have been accepted by me, if the election had not been fraught by electoral malpractices.