The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the just-concluded Ekiti State governorship election, Dr. Wole Oluyede, has revealed what he requested from the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and winner of the election, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, when he visited his residence in Ikere-Ekiti.
Earlier, Oluyede had rejected the outcome of the election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing a systemic compromise of the electoral process, ranging from technical failures to open financial inducement.
Recall that the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, declared Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of Saturday’s governorship poll after he secured 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rival, Dr. Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 40,543 votes, while the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ambassador Dare Bejide, came a distant third with 12,872 votes.
Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti on the outcome of the surprise post-election visit by Governor Oyebanji, Oluyede noted that the governor claimed to be unaware of the arrests of his supporters but gave a firm commitment to look into the actions of the security agencies.
He said the release of his members was the only request he made of him, noting that democracy cannot thrive if individuals are not allowed to tread the path of their convictions.
His words: “If I lost in a free, fair and credible contest, I would have no difficulty accepting the outcome.
“However, if there was widespread negligence, misconduct, intimidation, or disregard for established electoral procedures, then we must confront those realities honestly.
“I am not leaving politics. There is no personal conflict between Governor Oyebanji and myself. Politics should not be viewed as warfare, but I am equally committed to principles, accountability and the continuous improvement of our democracy.
“Concerning reports that some of my supporters have been arrested or harassed, I raised the matter directly with Governor Oyebanji during his visit. It was, in fact, the only request I made of him.
“He assured me that he was unaware of the incidents and promised to investigate the matter. I have reason to believe steps are already being taken to address these concerns.”
