The governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement in Ogun State, Adekunle Akinlade and the Director-General of the party, Sarafa Ishola, have rejected the results of the governorship election in the state.
Addressing journalists at the secretariat in Abeokuta, capital of the state, Ishola said the collation process was hijacked and compromised.
He alleged that top Federal Government officials went round some local government areas in the state and made party agents to sign filled result sheets under duress.
Ishola also said the Independent National Electoral Commission had announced the results of the election, in spite of the APM’s request to suspend it and investigate the alleged infractions.
Claiming that the results announced by INEC did not reflect the wishes of the people, Ishola said, “The exercise, which started on a peaceful note was disrupted by hoodlums and unidentified uniform men, who hijacked result sheets and went ahead to falsify the results in many local government areas, including, but not limited to Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Odeda, Ifo, Obafemi Owode and the local government areas in Ogun East Senatorial district.
“In some local government areas, such as Sagamu, the results were changed to deny the APM its well deserved victory. In other local government areas won by APC, the figures were altered to increase the margin between the APC and the APM.
“The disruptions were clearly designed to ensure that the APM did not meet the required constitutional requirement of 25 per cent votes in the LGAs that constitute Ogun East Senatorial district. They were also aimed at suppressing the electoral strength of the APM in Ogun Central Senatorial District.
“These infractions are against the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act. I hereby, on behalf of the APM, formally reject the results of the collation process that was hijacked and compromised because it did not reflect the wishes of the people of Ogun State.
“The APM wishes to put INEC on notice that we shall explore all possible means within the provision of the constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to challenge this miscarriage of justice.”
Akinlade said that party agents, who had copies of the collated results in the areas where the infractions occurred, observed that the results were altered.
He said, “The results were collated in the evening and party agents had copies of those results. By the time we woke up in the morning, the results had been changed.
“I wrote to INEC and requested an investigation. But the commission went ahead to announce the results and we thought it was imperative for us to take this position now so that it would be on record that we did not accept that position as it is. We shall seek all options available under the law to redress this injustice.”
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