Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun has been declared the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in the state.
Mr Oyetola, who is seeking re-election, scored 222,169 votes to defeat his closest rival, Moshood Adeoti, the preferred candidate of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who scored 12,921 votes.
The governor won in all the 30 local government areas of the state in the direct primary election on Saturday.
He also defeated Lasun Yusuf, a former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, who scored 460 votes.
The Kwara Governor, AbdulRaham AbdulRazak, Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, announced the results at about 3.00 a.m at the APC Secretariat in Osogbo on Sunday.
Mr AbdulRazak said that the total registered voters for the exercise was 408,697.
The chairman added that the total number of accredited voters was 247,207 while the total votes cast was 235,550.
He said: “I, AbdulRaham AbdulRazak, the Chairman, Primary Election Committee, hereby certified that Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola,
having scored the highest votes cast in Osun governorship primary election held on Feb.19 and met all requirements as contained in the guildlines of the election is hereby declared the winner.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of APC in Osun, Gboyega Famodun, commended the committee for a job well done.
Mr Famodun said the peaceful outcome of the primary had put an end to the tension in the state.
He said the party would work toward the victory of Mr Oyetola, who is now the party’s candidate for the July 16 governorship election in the state.
Aregbesola rejects result
Hours before the results were announced, however, Mr Aregbesola had alleged fraud and rejected the results.
Mr Aregbesola through his media aide, Sola Fasure, however, urged his supporters to remain calm even when provoked.
“We have heard of how party registration cards were being hawked this morning to the supporters of the state governor,” the minister said as part of his fraud allegations.
“We are still receiving and studying all these reports and will take a definitive position on them.”
Read the statement;
“On behalf of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, I will like to thank you most sincerely for heeding the call earlier this morning to participate in our party’s governorship primary and conduct yourselves most peacefully. You adopted a non-violent posture, even in the face of sore provocation.
“You have demonstrated your loyalty to the party and democratic ideals. You have comported yourselves as Omoluabi in the true essence.
“We have received and continue to receive the reports of the shenanigans of the officials who conducted the sham of an election. We have been inundated with reports state-wide of how your names were expunged from the party’s voters register, which was not made available until this morning, contrary to the convention of making the list available to the candidates before the election.
“We have heard of how party registration cards were being hawked this morning to the supporters of the state governor.
We have also received reports of how accreditation was not done at all in many wards and how people without the party identification just participated and queued behind the governor in many polling units.
“We have received the report from our members and independent observers, how government officials and notable supporters of the governor officiated in the election, how votes were farcically counted in favour of the governor and how the votes recorded for him were more than the number of voters accredited ab initio in many units.
“We have heard of the absence of result sheets and other vital documents for recording results and vital data. We note also the absence of INEC officials in most wards, casting serious doubt on the credibility of the election.
“We note with shame and much regret the consternation of local and international observers on what they regard as a travesty of an election.
“I will urge you to maintain your cool and calm. Be not downcast, be not agitated. Hold your head high. We are still receiving and studying all these reports and will take a definitive position on them.
“You are urged not to take laws into your hands. Please leave the rest to the Almighty God and let us explore all peaceful and legal means for addressing the matter in order to obtain justice.
“Please remain committed to peace and the rule of law. Be unflinching in your commitment to the democratic ideals. Democracy is for the long haul. As you all know, we never tire and we never give up on the cause we believe in. Be rest assured that victory is ours.