Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo State governor, has cautioned Segun Agbaje, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the state, against tampering with the results of Saturday’s state assembly poll in the Ilaje Local Government Area.
The Governor said, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had no power to withdraw a victory already granted, because the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party had been declared winners of the poll and has been given the Certificate of Return.
The REC had withheld the results earlier announced for the election in the two assembly seats of the area.
Agbaje already told journalists in Akure on Sunday that election in Ilaje was characterised by violence and instances of ballot box snatching and that the Electoral Officers were made to announce the results under duress.
“The Returning Officers for Ilaje Constituency I and Ilaje Constituency II were forced to declare the results under duress by armed thugs, even though the cancelled polling units could affect the final results,” the REC said.
In a statement, Kayode Akinmade, the Commissioner for Information, said the governor advised whoever that was not satisfied with the PDP victory in Ilaje,should go to the election petition tribunal.
He further said, “As far as we are concerned, and strictly in compliance with the electoral Act, results have been collated for Ilaje Constituencies 1 and 2. The results have been declared and result sheets signed by the appropriate returning officers. As far as we know, there is nothing inconclusive about the election.
“The results have been collated, declared, signed and delivered for the candidates that were returned in Ilaje 1 and 2 constituencies, so we don’t know anything about inconclusiveness, elections have been concluded.
“What we know is that once elections have been concluded and results relayed, anybody that has any complain should go to the tribunal.
“In the 26 House of Assembly seats, the PDP has been declared winner in 21 and the APC credited with the remaining five seats. We have the certificates signed by the returning officers declaring our candidates winners, which was signed at the various constituency headquarters as designated by the law.
“We thank God almighty that we had peaceful elections in Ondo State. The turnout was not bad, I am particularly happy that people listened to our plea not only to come out, but to also vote massively for PDP, we can have the majority seats in the House of Assembly so that the developmental strides and peace that we are enjoying in Ondo State can continue.”
Mimiko said the results of the assembly poll in Ondo were a vindication of his administration’s good works.
The governor added, “Many had pontificated that PDP would lose the state assembly poll following the outcome of the March 28 presidential election. They said there would be bandwagon effect but thank God that we won convincingly; it is a testimony to our performance and the fact that our people appreciate what we have been doing.
“One thing is clear, the result is a new vindication, a new attestation, a new endorsement of the developmental strides that we have been able to put in place, it is also an endorsement of our second term election that the people of the state wants us to continue to work for them.”
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