SDP, ADP to challenge outcome of Ekiti guber election at tribunal

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Segun Oni, and his Action Democratic Party (ADP) counterpart, Mrs. Kemi Elebute-Halle, on Sunday rejected the results of the state’s governorship election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the early hours of Sunday announced the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship, Biodun Oyebanji, as the winner of the election held on Saturday.

Oni and Elebute-Halle who spoke through their representatives promised to challenge the outcome of the election at the tribunal.

The former governor, who addressed journalists through his collation agent in the state, Owoseni Ajayi, in Ado Ekiti, said the results did not reflect the true decision of the people.

He lamented that the process was allegedly marred by financial inducement.

He said: “We are rejecting the results, because the election was characterised by violence and intimidation of voters.

“As a result, we will definitely challenge 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.”

On her part, the ADP candidate said the election was “tainted with vote buying and corruption.”

In a statement signed on her behalf by the party’s chairman in Ekiti State, Femi Eponlolaye, she condemned the snatching of ballot boxes, vote- buying and harassment of ADP members.

She claimed that political thugs and members of APC attacked her supporters in Ado-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ikole-Ekiti and Ilasa-Ekiti.

READ ALSO: Why I want to rule Ekiti again – Segun Oni

“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.

The statement read: “In spite of various sensitisation programmes and media publicity against vote buying, the APC, PDP and SDP actually promoted and encouraged corruption, both at the grassroots and the state levels.

“Though, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pronounced Oyebanji as the winner of this election, I, Kemi Elebute-Halle, hereby reject the results of this election.

“It was not credible, neither was it free nor fair. The APC thugs destabilised my strongholds across the state, attacked our members, snatched and destroyed our ballot boxes.

“All those votes, including those obtained by PDP, will be cancelled at the tribunal.

“I want to use this medium to urge my followers not to be discouraged about the outcome of the election.

“We shall continue to promote our great party, the ADP.”

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