Why I can’t accept Ekiti governorship election result – ADC’s Bejide

By Yinusa Ishola

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Mr Dare Bejide, has alleged that last Saturday’s Ekiti governorship election was conducted in “an atmosphere replica of a war zone”.

Bejide, who came third in the election said this while rejecting the result of the election result.

Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Bejide described the election as lacking credibility.

Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of All Progressives Congress, APC, was re-elected for second term of office in the governorship poll.

However, the ADC candidate accused the ruling party of engaging in vote buying through money and food distribution.

Bejide said the government should have relied on its achievements rather than struggling to influence voters.

“My immediate reaction is to reject the result in its entirety because the exercise was not credible,” he said.

He claimed some polling units, including his, witnessed a tense atmosphere during the election.

“You all witnessed what happened. Some places were almost like a war zone,” Bejide added.

He alleged that political appointees and a serving senator brought thugs and security personnel.

“In some places, it appeared the election was taking place only in my polling unit. It is a sad day for democracy,” the ADC candidate stated.

Bejide further alleged that vote buying was carried out openly at several polling units.

“Bags of money were brought to polling units, and enormous sums were spent,” he claimed. He said such actions reflected poor performance by the government.

“If they had performed well, there would have been no need to rely on money,” Bejide said.

The ADC candidate said he was still studying the election outcome before deciding his next move.

“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 available polling unit results.

“Once we receive and analyse everything, we will brief our party members,” Bejide stated.

He said the party would decide on the appropriate course of action afterwards.

“At this stage, we are certainly not satisfied with the conduct of the election,” he said.

Bejide urged his supporters and Ekiti residents to remain peaceful and calm. “We are carefully studying the results and will know the appropriate steps to take,” he added.

Meanwhile, contrary to the claim of Bejide, the Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa (CDD-West Africa) said the Ekiti governorship election was generally peaceful.

However, the organization said the conduct of the election was marred by operational challenges, vote-buying allegations and procedural irregularities recorded in some polling units.

CDD stated this in a preliminary report issued through its Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC) and signed by the Director of CDD, Dr Dauda Garuba, and Chairman of the CDD-EAC, Prof. Victor Adetula, on Sunday in Abuja.

According to the report, accredited observers monitored the deployment of election officials and materials, voting procedures, security operations and compliance with electoral guidelines across the state.

The centre said voters, election officials, security agencies and other stakeholders demonstrated commitment to democratic values and urged continued adherence to peace, transparency and the rule of law.

The organisation noted that the early deployment of officials and election materials facilitated the timely commencement of accreditation and voting in many polling units.

It, however, reported isolated delays, including the absence of election officials at Olubobokun Unit 12 in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, which prompted complaints from voters.

CDD also observed discrepancies in election materials, noting that ballot papers listed 19 political parties, while result sheets contained 15, in spite of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognising 14 candidates for the election.

The report further stated that some ad hoc officials issued unstamped ballot papers at a polling unit in Ekiti South before the situation was corrected by supervisors.

According to the organisation, incidents of malfunction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) were recorded in some locations, causing temporary disruptions and affecting the accreditation of some elderly voters.

CDD said security personnel maintained a visible presence across the state and that no widespread cases of voter intimidation, harassment or violence were reported.

While noting that voters showed enthusiasm during the exercise, the organisation said turnout appeared lower than expected in several polling units when compared with the number of registered voters.

The report also highlighted procedural violations involving some party agents, including improper voter assistance, interference with voting processes and disputes among rival party representatives.

CDD cited an incident in Gbonyin Local Government Area where an altercation between agents of the AP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation over assistance rendered to an elderly voter.

The organisation said its observers documented several alleged vote-buying incidents, with some voters reportedly receiving about N10,000 after casting their ballots in parts of Gbonyin, Ikere and other areas.

CDD expressed concern over the apparent absence of officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at many polling units, in spite of the agency’s role in combating vote trading during elections.

The report also tracked incidents of misinformation and disinformation, dismissing claims that a burnt police station in Isan-Ekiti was linked to election-related violence.

CDD further reported an irregularity during vote counting in Ado-Ekiti, where votes cast exceeded the number of accredited voters after duplicated and unnumbered ballot papers were discovered.

The organisation commended the prompt intervention of INEC backup teams in addressing some of the challenges and urged electoral authorities and anti-corruption agencies to address the identified shortcomings ahead of future elections.