Politics
PDP demands removal of Ogun returning officer
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State asked the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, to reverse the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The party also demanded the immediate replacement of the state’s returning officer, Prof. Kayode Adebowale.
The PDP Deputy Chairman in the state, Kayode Bamgbose, who addressed journalists on Monday in Abeokuta, said Adebowale refused to mention the total cancelled votes.
He said the party had notified the returning officer of the position of Electoral Act concerning such instances.
INEC on Sunday declared Governor Dapo Abiodun of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election having polled 276,298 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, Ladi Adebutu, who garnered 262,393 votes in the exercise.
The chairman said: “It should also be placed on record that our party had notified the returning officer of the position of the electoral law on situations where the margin of winning is lower than the number of disenfranchised voters, a rerun should be held.
Read also:PDP’s Caleb Mutfuwang shoves APC to win Plateau governorship election
“A petition had also been submitted to INEC which was acknowledged by the Resident Electoral Commissioner but was not attended to, yet the result was announced and declared against the provision of electoral law.
“In Kebbi State, which was declared inconclusive this morning (Monday), a similar case happened and the unbiased returning officer followed the dictates of the law.
“We are hereby calling on National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, to reverse this clear manipulation, injustice and rape of democracy by the returning officer by declaring the Ogun governorship election inconclusive and ordering a rerun in the affected areas.”
On his part, Adebutu assured his supporters that the party would seek redress in court.
He urged them to remain calm and unperturbed as the party would find ways of reclaiming its allegedly stolen mandate.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...