…as INEC declares ex-Minister winner of governorship poll
The Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Sunday, said his victory over the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, would be one for reclaiming and restoring the values of the Ekiti people.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress was declared winner in Saturday’s governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, beating his closest rival, Olusola-Eleka, and 33 other contestants, at the poll.
Fayemi, who was defeated by the incumbent, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, way back in 2014 when he was a sitting governor, was until recently, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
In the result as announced by the INEC, Fayemi polled 197,459 votes to defeat Olusola-Eleka, who scored 178,121 votes, thus leading in 12 out of the 16 local government areas.
He was returned winner at 8am on Sunday by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, having scored the highest number of votes.
An exultant Fayemi, while addressing newsmen in Isan-Ekiti shortly after he was declared winner, said, “The victory of this election, I believe, is for reclaiming the land and restoring the values of our people. Our values in Ekiti are respect for our leaders, commitment to our people, non-brigandage, non-criminality and so on.
“This victory is a victory for all; it is not a victory for only Governor Kayode Fayemi, it is a victory for all the Ekiti people.”
Fayemi also said that his victory was significant for democracy in Nigeria.
“This was just not an Ekiti election. I want people to understand that this election has a lot of significance to the future of democracy in Nigeria.
“The fact that we have witnessed a free, fair and transparent election process has huge importance for similar exercises like Osun State next door to us and eventually the national elections in February 2019.”
The governor-elect commended all the leaders of APC for their contributions to the success of the party in the Ekiti governorship election.
Fayemi particularly thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba; a former interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande and all party leaders in Ekiti, for their support for his aspiration.
