... says outcome mockery of democracy

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Saturday's Ekiti State governorship election, Ambassador Dare Bejide, has rejected the outcome of the poll, describing it as a "mockery of democracy" and insisting that the exercise lacked credibility.

Addressing journalists after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, the winner of the election, Bejide alleged widespread vote-buying, intimidation, and electoral irregularities, which he said undermined the integrity of the process.

The ADC candidate said he was rejecting the results "in their entirety", arguing that what transpired across parts of the state fell short of democratic standards.

"My immediate reaction is to reject the result in its entirety because the exercise was not credible. You all witnessed what happened. In some polling units, including mine, the atmosphere was almost like a war zone. It is a sad day for democracy," he said.

He alleged that political appointees and influential figures mobilised thugs and security operatives to influence the outcome of the election, while vote-buying was allegedly carried out openly in several polling units.

According to him, large sums of money were distributed to voters in broad daylight without intervention from security agencies, despite repeated complaints by his party.

According to him, "The open display of vote-buying shows a failure on the part of the government. If they had performed well, there would have been no need to rely on money to secure votes. They should have depended on their achievements to convince the electorate rather than openly buying votes."

Bejide further claimed that preliminary reviews of results obtained by his party had revealed cases of over-voting, alterations, and other irregularities, stressing that the ADC was still collating polling unit results before deciding on its next course of action.

"We are still gathering and analysing the results. The few we have seen contain evidence of over-voting and alterations. A lot of disturbing things happened during the election. Once we complete our analysis, we will determine the appropriate action to take," he stated.

The former Ambassador to Canada maintained that the results announced by INEC did not reflect the mood of the electorate, insisting that the ADC ran an extensive grassroots campaign across the state and enjoyed significant support among artisans, traders, pensioners, and other segments of the population.

Bejide argued that the alleged resort to vote-buying by the ruling party was itself evidence that the ADC posed a serious challenge in the election.

"We went from house to house. We visited artisans, market women, pensioners, and communities across the state. The feedback we received was overwhelming. That is why we believe the outcome announced does not reflect the reality on the ground.

"If we were not on the ground, as some people claimed, why was there so much vote-buying? If they were confident in their popularity and achievements, they should have allowed democracy to flourish and defeated us through the ballot," he added.

Despite his strong reservations about the outcome, the ADC candidate appealed to his supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding while the party concludes its review of the election results.

"My message to our supporters is to remain calm. It is not over yet. We are studying the results and, when that process is completed, we will know the appropriate steps to take. Everyone should remain peaceful and patient," he said.

Bejide also confirmed receiving a telephone call from Governor Oyebanji after the declaration of the results. While noting that he had yet to speak extensively with the governor, he said he remained open to hearing from him, describing the APC candidate as a political associate with whom he shares a long-standing relationship.

"Yes, Governor Biodun Oyebanji called me today (Sunday). He said he wanted to visit. I told him I was occupied at the time and asked if we could speak later.

"He said he would call back. He is my brother and not a stranger to me. In fact, he began his political journey from my house in 1996. So whenever he comes, I will listen to what he has to say," he said.