- No! I will reclaim my mandate in court- PDP candidate
The Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has advised the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the July 14 poll in the state, Prof Olusola Kolapo Eleka, to accept defeat and the outcome of the governorship election in good faith.
But Eleka, who not only rejected the outcome of the poll, vowed to pursue the matter and reclaim what he described as his mandate in court.
Fayemi, who addressed his supporters and party faithful, who had followed him down to the state secretarial of the APC on Sunday, after dancing round the town and thanking the people of Ekiti State for expressing their love for him by voting massively for him at the poll, said it was better for both the PDP and its candidate to accept defeat, for peace to reign.
Fayemi who urged the PDP and Eleka to learn from his reaction to the his defeat in 2014, said he decided to allow peace to reign for the benefit of the people of Ekiti by accepting defeat then, despite all odds.
According to him, “The very nature of elections are divisive as we cannot all see things from the same perspective, neither can we all have the same preference for political parties and candidates.
“However, regardless of how we voted yesterday, I encourage us all to accept the results in true democratic spirit and commence the journey to reuniting our state.”
Fayemi added, “Despite the divisive nature of the contest, I want you to remember our bond of unity as Ekiti people. I, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, hereby offer myself to be the governor of all, irrespective of faith, creed or political belief.”
But Eleka argued that the “governorship election was hijacked by political desperadoes leveraging on Federal might to pervert the electoral process, subvert the will of Ekiti people, and viciously steal the mandate willingly and freely given to me on a massive scale by our people.
“PDP and I won the election overwhelmingly, receiving more than 70% of lawful votes cast and winning in almost all of the state’s 16 local government areas.
“I, therefore, reject the falsified results being bandied by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which purportedly gave the election to the All Progressives Congress and its Candidate, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.
“This is the most audacious electoral robbery of our recent history. It shall not stand. By the grace of Almighty God and your support, I will pursue and regain my mandate.”
