Gbenro Adesina
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of All Progressive Congress (APC), winner of the 2020 Ondo State Governorship Election held on Saturday October 10, 2020.
Akeredolu, who won in a landslide in 15 local government areas will return as the governor of the state for the second term.
The Chief Returning officer in the Governorship Election, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI) announced that Akeredolu has fulfilled all the requirements to be declared winner of the election.
While Akeredolu polled 292,830, his closest rival, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scored 195, 791 votes and Agboola Ajayi, of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), who the incumbent Deputy Governor of the State scored votes.
Declaring Akeredolu as winner, Olayinka stated, “I Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), certify that I am the returning officer of the 2020 Ondo State Governorship Election held on Saturday October 10, 2020.
“That the election was conducted. That Oluwarotimi Oludayo Akeredolu of APC, scored the highest number of votes among the 17 candidates who contested in the election and scored 25 per cent in each local government. He also has a total score higher than the cancelled votes.
“Consequently, having certify the requirements of law, I hereby declare Oluwarotimi Oludayo Akeredolu as the winner of the 2020 Ondo State Governorship Election held on Saturday October 10, 2020 and he is hereby returned elected”.
According to him, the total valid votes in the election is 572,745, rejected votes, 18, 448 and cancelled votes, 16,709.
The breakdown of the results showed that Akeredolu scored 13,278 votes in Ile Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government area to beat Jegede and Ajayi, who polled 9,231 and 1,971 votes respectively.
In Irele Local Government area, Akeredolu won with12,643 votes, followed by Ajayi, who polled 5, 904 votes ahead of Jegede, who scored 5,493 votes.
Akeredolu also won in Akoko North-East Local Government area with a total of 16,572 votes, while Jegede and Ajayi tagged along with 8,380 and 3, 532 votes respectively.
Similarly, the APC candidate won in Akoko South-West Local Government area with 21, 232 votes, followed by the PDP candidate, who polled a total of 15, 055, while their ZLP counterpart scored 2,775 votes.
The story was not different in Akoko North-West Local Government area, where Akeredolu garnered 15,809 votes, with Jegede having 10,320 votes and Ajayi 3,221.
Akeredolu also won in Ondo East Local Government area with 6,485 votes, closely followed by candidates of the PDP and the ZLP, who polled 4,049 and 3, 221 votes respectively.
It was a landslide victory for Akeredolu in his Owo Local Government area, where he garnered a total of 35,957 votes to beat Jegede of the PDP, who scored 5,311, and Ajayi of the ZLP, who scored 408 votes.
Also in Idanre Local Government area, APC won with a total of 11,286 votes, PDP 7,499 and ZLP 3,623.
The APC candidate also recorded victory in Akoko South- East Local Government area with a total of 9,419 votes over candidates of the PDP and ZLP, who scored 4,003 and 2,004 votes respectively.
APC further recorded victory in Odigbo Local Government Area with a total of 23,571 votes over candidates of the PDP and ZLP, who scored 9,485 and 6,540 respectively.
APC won in Ose Local Government Area with 15,122 votes, while PDP and ZLP scored 8,421 and 1,083 respectively.
Also in Okitipupa Local Government Area, APC scored 19,266 votes to beat PDP and ZLP 10,367 and 10,120 respectively.
The story is the same in Ondo West Local Government Area with APC scoring 15,977 votes to beat PDP and ZLP with 10,627 and 10,159 votes respectively.
APC equally won in Ilaje Local Government Area scoring 26,657 votes to beat PDP with 11,128 votes and ZLP 4,005.
In Ese Odo Local Government, APC won with 13,382 votes, while PDP and ZLP have 4,680 and 4,760 votes respectively.
However, Jegede beat Akeredolu massively in Akure South Local Government Area where he polled 47,627 votes. Akeredolu scored 12,277 votes and Ayayi scored 1,046.
PDP also scored 12, 263 votes in Akure North Local Government to beat APC with 9,546 votes.
In Ifedore Local Government, PDP polled 11,852 votes to beat APC with 9,350 votes.
Reacting APC Agent, Victor Olabimtan thanked the people of Ondo State for voting for Akeredolu and APC and reposing confidence in the ruling APC.
He said that the victory means that Akeredolu and the party must work harder to bring dividends of democracy to the people in terms of development, industralisation among others.
However, his PDP counterpart, though, admitted that the result of the election reflects the wish of the people said that the election was won on technical ground.
He alleged that the election was characterised with massive violence, multiple mutilation of the results throughout the state, saying that election in Ilaje Area of the state was not free and fair.
