The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ondo State has formally rejected the results of Saturday’s governorship election, describing it as a “show of shame.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent governor, as the winner of the election, with 366,781 votes, defeating his rivals.
At a press briefing in Akure on Monday, Mr. Gbenga Akinbuli, the chairman of the SDP in the state, condemned the election, alleging widespread harassment and intimidation of the party’s agents. He also claimed that several voters were denied the opportunity to vote, and that vote-buying was prevalent during the exercise.
“Our legal team is already reviewing the election outcome,” Akinbuli said, calling for the cancellation of the results.
He added, “If our agents are present at every polling unit and each casts a vote, we should record at least 2,000 votes. How then do the results reflect such low figures for our party? We reject this outright.
“Our agents arrived at polling units as early as 7 a.m., but they were intimidated and driven out. Voters were afraid to come out. How can you register over two million voters and then report less than 600,000 votes? It’s a disgrace. Many people told me they feared for their lives and stayed away.
“This wasn’t an election; it was a buyer-and-seller affair. We demand an immediate cancellation of the results.”
SDP’s governorship candidate, Mr. Bamidele Akingboye, who secured just 438 votes, also denounced the election as marred by irregularities, alleging that SDP members faced harassment by political thugs at several polling units.
