The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday morning, declared former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Kayode Fayemi, winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.
Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the Chief Returning Officer for the election and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), said Fayemi polled 197,459 votes to emerge winner.
Olayinka made the declaration at INEC headquarters in Ado-Ekiti.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and deputy governor to Ayo Fayose, Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka, came second with 178,121 votes.
The PDP, however, rejected the results, saying the election was marred by irregularities and attacks of its members and supporters.
The party’s agent at the collation centre, Mr Sunday Olowolafe, urged the commission to stay action on the declaration of a winner until a re-run was conducted where there were established cases of violence, vote-buying and ballot snatching.
Other results declared by Olayinka include Accord, 250; Action Alliance, 41; ACD, 1149; AD, 216; ADB, 1082; ADA, 107; AGAO, 31; ANRP, 125; APA, 1199; and APDA, 464.
Also declared were APGA, 70; ANPP, 14; DA, 14; DPC, 147; DPP,181; FJP, 42; GPN, 20; I.D, 31;, KOWA, 23; LP, 280; MMN, 35; MPN, 23; NDLP, 44; NPC, 353 PANDEL, 74; and PGC, 1242.
The rest are DPA, 632; PPN, 107; SDO, 367; UDP, 29; UPN, 33; YDP, 31 and YPP, 49.
Olayinka said the total valid votes in the election was 384,594 while total votes cast was 403,451, with 18,857 votes invalidated.
With the result, Fayemi defeated Eleka in 12 of the 16 local governments in the Fountain of Knowledge.
Fayemi will take over from Fayose on October 16.
Statistics:
Local Governments: 16
Registered Voters: 893,777
Accreditation: 405,861
APC total votes: 197, 459
PDP total votes: 178,121