LIVE UPDATES: Oyebanji Wins Ekiti APC Primary, Floors Other Aspirants By Over 100k Votes
Welcome to Legit.ng's live coverage of the Ekiti APC's governorship primary.
There had been fears that the primary might not hold as seven out of the eight aspirants were calling for postponement after alleging that the process has been rigged.
Source: Twitter
However, TheCable reported that the Ekiti APC has insisted that the governorship primary will hold as scheduled in all the 177 wards of the state.
Contrary to the allegations of the seven aspirants, the party maintained that a level playing field that will guarantee fairness, openness and transparency has been adopted by the election committee.
Oyebanji wins Ekiti APC primary by over 100k votes
Biodun Oyebanji on Thursday, January 27, won the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Ekiti.
While he secured 101,703 votes, Ojo Kayode polled 767 votes, Opeyemi Bamidele had 760 votes and Dayo Adeyeye got 691 votes.
Oyebanji will be the ruling party's flagbearer in the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti.
LIVE UPDATES: Oyebanji flooring other aspirants as collation officers announce results of Ekiti APC primary
There is tension and anxiety across local government areas in Ekiti as collation officers announce the results of the primary election.
At the moment, Biodun Oyebanji, who, according to The Nation, has secured more than 70,000 votes, is leading other contestants in the poll by a very wide and decisive margin.
With all the results from the LGAs announced, rapped attention is fixed on Mohammed Badaru, the chairman of the election committee, to declare the winner of the election.
Below are the results in the various LGAs:
ILEJEMEJE LGA
Bamidele Faparusi - 10
Ojo Kayode - 20
Opeyemi Bamidele - 19
Dayo Adeyeye - 07
Femi Bamisile - 16
Biodun Oyebanji - 3011
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 02
Demola Popoola - 04
IJERO LGA
Bamidele Faparusi - 01
Ojo Kayode - 35
Opeyemi Bamidele - 48
Dayo Adeyeye - 94
Femi Bamisile - 05
Biodun Oyebanji - 6714
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 01
Demola Popoola - 07
ADO LGA
Bamidele Faparusi - 46
Ojo Kayode - 129
Opeyemi Bamidele - 150
Dayo Adeyeye - 90
Femi Bamisile - 93
Biodun Oyebanji - 49380
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 0
Demola Popoola - 42
IKOLE LGA
Bamidele Faparusi - 05
Ojo Kayode - 55
Opeyemi Bamidele - 63
Dayo Adeyeye - 04
Femi Bamisile - 60
Biodun Oyebanji - 9619
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 02
Demola Popoola - 30
EKITI SOUTH-WEST
Bamidele Faparusi - 21
Ojo Kayode - 149
Opeyemi Bamidele - 83
Dayo Adeyeye - 126
Femi Bamisile - 28
Biodun Oyebanji - 5880
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 0
Demola Popoola - 26
OYE LGA
Bamidele Faparusi - 41
Ojo Kayode - 84
Opeyemi Bamidele - 39
Dayo Adeyeye - 144
Femi Bamisile - 40
Biodun Oyebanji - 9359
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 07
Demola Popoola - 55
EKITI EAST LGA
Bamidele Faparusi - 62
Ojo Kayode - 01
Opeyemi Bamidele - 05
Dayo Adeyeye - 06
Femi Bamisile - 21
Biodun Oyebanji - 5574
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 0
Demola Popoola - 04
IREPODUN/IFELODUN LGA
Bamidele Faparusi - 03
Ojo Kayode - 02
Opeyemi Bamidele - 66
Dayo Adeyeye - 10
Femi Bamisile - 02
Biodun Oyebanji - 4297
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 0
Demola Popoola - 01
ISE/ORUN LGA
Bamidele Faparusi - 0
Ojo Kayode - 0
Opeyemi Bamidele - 09
Dayo Adeyeye - 131
Femi Bamisile - 08
Biodun Oyebanji - 4048
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 0
Demola Popoola - 0
Final results from 16 LGAS
Biodun Oyebanji - 101703
Ojo Kayode - 767
Opeyemi Bamidele - 760
Dayo Adeyeye - 691
Femi Bamisile - 400
Bamidele Faparusi - 376
Demola Popoola - 239
Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi - 47
Governor Fayemi chilling with Fayose, Governor Udom and Abubakar
Governor Fayemi wrote on his Facebook page:
"With Governors Udom Emmanuel and Badaru Abubakar and my predecessor in office, Governor Ayo Fayose in Government House this morning. Both Governors Udom and Badaru came to conduct gubernatorial primaries in Ekiti.
Source: Facebook
"This camaraderie demonstrates clearly that for us in Ekiti and indeed in the Nigeria Governors' Forum, it is politics without bitterness. After hot exchanges and political disagreements, it's possible to disagree without being disagreeable.
"Politics should be about values and vision, not violence and viciousness."
Source: Facebook
Ekiti APC finally responds to controversy
According to the party, the allegations are not new. And it had been dealt with.
Here is what the party said:
"It is an incontrovertible fact that every member of the appointed Electoral Officers for today’s primary election is a bonafide member of Ekiti state APC.
"During the stakeholders’ meeting between the committee, aspirants and others yesterday, this issue was raised and exhaustively discussed, and to reinforce confidence in the process, it was agreed that each aspirant should nominate 20 people each to be part of the process."
"All the aspirants took advantage of this window of opportunity and submitted the list of their nominated electoral officers."
"All the submitted lists have been added to the existing arrangement, assigned into various wards and local governments. They have all been incorporated."
Collation set to commence but venue is unknown
Collation and announcement of results at the state level are expected to start any time from now.
According to The Cable, it is not yet clear what venue the party would use for this next exercise, but some believe it would be the party secretariat in Ado-Ekiti.
Voting ends across wards
Voting has now ended across most wards in the state
Some party members are really not happy
Source: UGC
Some party members could be seen voicing their frustration
Three reasons why the aggrieved aspirants are not happy
Source: UGC
1. They say the list of local government election committee and ward election committee is "made up solely by party members and political appointees that had before now openly endorsed the candidacy of Biodun Oyebanji, the immediate past secretary to the state government".
2. According to them, the "governor and most appointees of the governor are openly rooting for and supporting Biodun Oyebanji’s aspiration to become the flag bearer of our great party".
3. They alleged that the persons appointed as members of both committees are "appointees of government who are all supporters of a candidate in the primary election they are appointed to superintend on".
Biodun Oyebanji votes in his polling unit
Meanwhile, Biodun Oyebanji, the aspirant believed to be enjoying Governor Fayemi's support, has voted in his polling unit.
Aggrieved APC members assemble in front of DSS office
While "voting" is going on in some LGAs, the aggrieved APC members have now assembled in front of the DSS office in Ado-Ekiti.
The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is also said to be nearby.
"Winner without voting"
TheCable reported that officials at Ward 4, Ado LGA say they have a winner, despite not observing any form of voting.
It is gathered that most wards have now finished the alleged “voting” exercise.
A party member at Ward 4, Ado LGA, spoke about his experience:
“We didn’t really vote. We were asked to write down our names and wait. Then, they did one counting we didn’t understand. Like jumping from 50 to 200 and so on. And after that, a candidate was declared as winner."
Accreditation ongoing at Ward 4, Ado-Ekiti LGA
Accreditation is also reportedly ongoing at Ward 4, Ado-Ekiti LGA.
Ward 2, Ado LGA concludes accreditation, election
Amid the call for postponement, accreditation and election have been allegedly concluded at Ward 2, Ado LGA.
Aggrieved aspirants meet with police commissioner
The seven aggrieved aspirants are currently meeting with the commissioner of police at the state headquarters.
Their supporters had earlier staged a protest at the party's secretariat.
The seven governorship aspirants, according to TheCable, have withdrawn from the primary.
Meet the eight aspirants
- Sen. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele
- Hon. Biodun Oyebanji
- Sen. Dayo Adeyeye
- Hon. Femi Bamisile
- Hon. Bamidele Faparusi
- Engr. Kayode Ojo
- Chief Sola Afolabi
- Demola Popoola
Apart from Hon. Biodun Oyebanji, all the other seven aspirants are calling for the primary's postponement.
They alleged that the process has been rigged to favour Oyebanji.
Sen. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele in a report by Legit.ng alleged that those who were appointed electoral umpires for the election are Governor Kayode Fayemi's aides and appointees.
Meanwhile, Oyebanji is believed to be Governor Fayemi's anointed aspirant.
The seven aspirants therefore asked for a fresh appointment of new electoral umpires.
Meanwhile, Senator Bamidele is also believed to be the anointed aspirant of the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Aanu Adegun Aanu Adegun is a journalist with over 9 years of experience in both digital and traditional media. A graduate of English Studies from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state. Aanu joined Legit.ng in 2016 covering politics and current affairs. Aanu started his journalism career as a features writer. He once anchored some specialised pages of a national newspaper. You can reach him via - aanu.adegun@corp.legit.ng
Onyirioha Nnamdi Onyirioha Nnamdi is a graduate of Literature and English Language at the University of Lagos. He is a Politics/Current Affairs Editor who writes on news and political topics for Legit.ng. He brings into his reporting a wealth of experience in creative and analytical writing. Nnamdi has a major interest in local and global politics. He has a professional certificate from Reuters and was awarded the editor with the best listicle for 2021. Contact: 08062988054, o.nnamdi@corp.legit.ng
