BREAKING NEWS: Ekiti REC‘s indisposition stalls results, Oye election

By Hamed Shobiye

Published: Monday, 27 Apr 2009

A fresh twist was added to the controversy over the stalled governorship rerun in

Photo file

Mr Segun Oni and Dr Kayode Fayemi

Ekiti State as it emerged that the indiposition of the Ekiti State Resident

Electoral Commission, Mrs Ayoka Adebayo, was responsible for the delay in

announcing the results of the remaining four local governments and the conduct of

the poll in Oye Wards 1 & 2.

Disclosing the latest development at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Maurice Iwu,

said Adebayo took ill during the conduct of the election on Saturday and had to

be excused from duty.

Iwu, whose press conference was monitored on a television station in Lagos, said

that under Section 28(2G) of the Electoral Act 2006, Adebayo was the only person

authorised to announce the results and conduct the remaining portion of the

election.

He debunked allegations that the REC was under pressure from any quarters to

manipulate the process, noting that she was acting independently. He lamented

that the attitude of politicians during the election had prolonged the conclusion

of the election and stated that the results from Ido-Osi, Ekiti East, Ekiti West

and Ikole local government areas would be put on hold until Adebayo‘s resumes

work.

He also said no election would be held in Oye Wards 1 & 2 until her resumption.

Iwu said that from the results so far released, the leading candidates in the

election - Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the Action Congress and Mr. Segun Oni of the

Peoples Democratic party - were ”running neck to neck,” adding that there was no

way a winner could be declared without the 18,000 votes expected from Oye.

So far, results have been declared for Gbonyin, Ekiti South-West,

Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ise-Orun and Ijero. These results gave Oni 15,420 votes and

Fayemi got 15,026.

Oni had carried into the rerun 65,743 while Fayemi had 78,091. When added

together, Fayemi has 93,117 while Oni has 81,163. As such, Fayemi is still ahead

with 11,954.

At a press conference in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, the PDP accused INEC and the

Nigeria Police of colluding with the AC to truncate the election. But the AC in a

statement urged Adebayo not to be swayed by anyone to declare false results.

Paige Myles