The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the Ekiti State governorship election, Dare Bejide, has rejected the outcome of the poll, describing the exercise as lacking credibility and alleging widespread irregularities.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Bejide claimed the election was conducted in an atmosphere that resembled a war zone in some locations, alleging that intimidation, vote buying and undue influence marred the process.
“My immediate reaction is to reject the result in its entirety because the exercise was not credible,” he said.
Bejide alleged that some polling units, including his own, experienced tension during the election.
“You all witnessed what happened. Some places were almost like a war zone,” he added.
The ADC candidate accused the ruling party of engaging in vote buying through the distribution of money and food to voters. He argued that the government should have relied on its performance and achievements rather than attempting to influence voters through inducements.
According to him, political appointees and a serving senator allegedly brought thugs and security personnel to some polling units, creating an atmosphere of intimidation.
“In some places, it appeared the election was taking place only in my polling unit. It is a sad day for democracy,” Bejide stated.
He further alleged that vote buying was carried out openly in several polling units across the state.
“Bags of money were brought to polling units, and enormous sums were spent,” he claimed.
Bejide said such actions reflected poorly on the performance of the government.
“If they had performed well, there would have been no need to rely on money,” he said.
The ADC candidate disclosed that he was still reviewing the election outcome and consulting with members of his party before determining the next line of action.
“I have not personally seen the full results; I have only heard reports on social media,” he said.
He added that his team was collating results from polling units across the state.
“Once we receive and analyse everything, we will brief our party members,” Bejide stated.
He said the party would subsequently decide on the appropriate course of action after reviewing all available information.
“At this stage, we are certainly not satisfied with the conduct of the election,” he said.
Bejide, however, urged his supporters and residents of Ekiti State to remain peaceful and law-abiding while the party studies the outcome of the election.
“We are carefully studying the results and will know the appropriate steps to take,” he added.
