The Ondo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has rejected the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election, calling it a “show of shame”.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and incumbent governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, won the election with 366,781 votes, defeating his opponents.
Addressing journalists on Monday in Akure, SDP chairman Mr. Gbenga Akinbuli condemned the election, citing widespread harassment and intimidation of the party’s agents.
He also alleged that many voters were prevented from casting their ballots, while vote-buying was rampant.
“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 governorship candidate Mr. Bamidele Akingboye, who garnered just 438 votes, also decried the election as riddled with irregularities. He alleged that SDP members were harassed by political thugs at several polling units.
