Ekiti Election: INEC Welcomes Olusola-Eleka’s Bid To Dispute Fayemi’s Victory

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described as a welcome development, the decision of Professor Kolapo Olusola-Eleka to challenge its declaration of Dr Kayode Fayemi as winner of the Ekiti State governorship poll of July 14.

Olusola-Eleka, who was candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election that held on Saturday, had claimed that the “PDP and I won the election overwhelmingly, receiving more than 70% of lawful votes cast” but the APC used “federal might” to “viciously steal the mandate willingly and freely given to me”

The PDP candidate and current deputy to Governor Ayodele Fayose had accused INEC of reneging on “its promise to have results counted, declared, and pasted on the wall of each polling station.”

Olusola-Eleka had in his speech after Fayemi was declared the winner of the election said: “this is another battle we will fight and win”. His principal, Governor Fayose had also said the PDP will challenge the outcome of the election in court.

“he victory of Kayode Fayemi is pyrrhic, we will reclaim the stolen mandate in the court by the power of God,” the governor had said in a tweet.

But reacting to the statements, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Wole Osaze-Uzzi, said: “INEC welcomes the decision of Prof. Eleka to go to the tribunal on the outcome of the governorship election. That is the proper thing to do.

“Legal process is a better resort than making inciting statements and engaging in media trial. We welcome judicial intervention on disputes arising from the election. Just like in the case of Edo State, it is left to Eleka to prove his case before the tribunal.”

Osaze-Uzzi described Fayemi’s victory at the poll as “good and a fair reflection of the will of the people of Ekiti State. Even international and local observers rated the conduct of the poll as good.

“We have been receiving preliminary reports from the accredited Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). Most of those in the so-called Coalition of Civil Society Groups were not accredited for the poll by INEC.

“The materials and logistics were on spot and accreditation of voters started as and when due in more than 92 per cent of the polling units,” said the INEC Director.