The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, Wole Oluyede, has insisted that the poll fell short of the people’s expectations of a free, fair, credible and acceptable election.
Oluyede said he was still consulting widely on the next line of action regarding the election, based on reports received from across the 16 local government areas of the state and his assessment of the conduct of the poll.
In a personally signed statement titled, “A Message of Gratitude, Hope and Commitment to the People of Ekiti State,” made available in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, the PDP candidate appreciated party members and supporters for standing firm in their convictions and voting according to their conscience.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had, in the early hours of Sunday, June 21, declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress the winner of the election after polling 319,224 votes, while Oluyede of the PDP secured 40,543 votes to place second.
Oluyede said, “The official results declared by INEC credited our great party with 40,543 votes. To every one of you who stood firmly with us and refused to exchange your conscience for personal gain, I owe you a debt of gratitude that words alone cannot repay.”
He, however, maintained that the election failed to meet acceptable democratic standards.
“My position regarding the conduct of the election remains clear. Based on reports received from our polling agents across the 16 local government areas, information available to our campaign and my own assessment of events, I firmly believe that the election fell short of the standard of a free, fair and credible election that the good people of Ekiti deserved. Punch
