The Peoples Democratic Party rallied from a dampening
defeat at the Presidential election to a dramatic victory on
Saturday, winning 19 out of the 26 seats in the Ondo State
House of Assembly.
The election, which was marked by pockets of violence and
ballot box snatching in different parts of the state, saw the
return of the House Speaker, Jumoke Akindele(Okitipupa II)
and the Majority Leader, Ifedayo Akinsoyinu(Ondo West II) to
their seats in the house.
The All Progressives Congress managed to secure five seats
of Akoko North West I, Akoko South West I and II, Akure
South II and Owo II.
The other constituencies won by the PDP include Akoko North
East, Akoko North West II, Akoko South East, Akure North,
Akure South I, Ese-Odo, Idanre, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo, Irele, Odigbo
I and II; Okitipupa I, Ondo East, Ondo West I, Ose and Owo I.
The results of the two constituencies in Ilaje Local
Government were not announced following the alleged
manipulation of the results after armed youths seized electoral
materials and returned them later with figures.
Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Olusegun
Agbaje, while addressing newsmen in Akure on Sunday, said,
“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.”
He noted that the returning officers, in separate reports to
him, declared the results of the two constituencies
inconclusive because the outcome of the cancelled polling
units could change the final results.
According to him, the results in the two constituencies should
not have been declared given that there were no election in 26
polling units in Ilaje II with a total voting capacity of 20,879
and the cancelled 47 units in Ilaje I, with a total voting
capacity of 25,302.
“The results had to be declared by the Returning Officer
because of the tense situation and the threat to his life, that
of the electoral officers and the Ad hoc staff,” he said.
He said the Chairman of the commission, Attahiru Jega, would
need to look into the matter because of the legal implications
in relation to the provisions of the Electoral Act and make a
formal pronouncement on the matter.
Agbaje noted that the election witnessed low turn out of
voters across the state, adding that there were pockets of
violence in ten local government areas.
They are Akoko North West, Akoko South West, Ese-Odo,
Idanre, Ilaje, Irele, Okitipupa, Ondo East, Owo and Ose.