The Ekiti State House of Assembly has condemned and rejected the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election which produced Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress as governor. The house also adjourned legislative business until October 8, citing issues of harassment and insecurity.
The house which is dominated by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, by the resolution, will resume duties a week to the expiration of the tenure of the governor, Ayo Fayose.
House Leader, Akinyele Olatunji, condemned the alleged harassment of Governor Fayose, PDP leaders across the state and members of the state assembly by security personnel. He also said the adjournment of the house became imperative due to the political harassment of members by security agents.
Chairman House Committee on information, Samuel Omotoso, said the election of July 14 did not meet democratic standards. He said the election was marred by “outright brigandage, vote buying and falsification of results.”
The Deputy Whip of the Assembly, Ekundayo Akinleye, remarked that the outcome of the election showed Nigerians should not expect free and fair 2019 general elections as there were discrepancies in the final figures released by INEC.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Kola Oluwawole, said figures were brazenly doubled to favour the declared winner and expressed confidence that the stolen mandate would soon be retrieved.
Deliberation on the poll led to the passage of an eighth-point resolution which stated that the election was heavily militarised with palpable fear on the faces of the electorate.
The House also held that there was ballot snatching by APC thugs, while PDP supporters were molested and chased out of polling booths and collation centres in open glare of security agents.
The lawmakers resolved that the result of the governorship election stood rejected by the House.
