APC’s Akeredolu leads in Ondo election, PDP alleges manipulation
Unofficial results in the Ondo State governorship election in indicate that Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) may emerge victorious with the PDP candidate Eyitayo Jegede closely following. Akeredolu is reported to have scored 45,609 votes from what had been released so far and he is trailed by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 42,987 votes. Alliance for Democracy (AD) got 18,679, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) 3,458.
But Olusegun Mimiko and his party, the PDP, are alleging collusion between the APC and INEC to undo the PDP in the election. The card reader had in the early hours of the election rejected Mimiko, causing a temporary stir in his polling unit.
The latest figures represent 39 per cent of the collated results so far
The results are from some wards of the 13 local governments, including Akoko north East, Akoko southeast, Akoko south west, Owo and Akure North.
Others are Ifedore , Akoko Northwest, Akure South, Ose, Idanre, Ile Oluji, Ese Odo and Okeigbo/ Ile Oluji.
Earlier on Saturday, there was mild drama in Ondo town as the card reader deployed for the governorship election rejected Gov. Olusegun Mimiko’s thumbprint when he wanted to vote at his Ward 7, Unit 20 Polling Unit in Ondo West Local Government Area.
Mimiko had to fill the incident form before he was finally allowed to cast his vote at about 12 noon.
Speaking shortly after casting his vote, the governor said he would resist any attempt to manipulate the election in favour of any political party.
“Ondo people will not allow any form of rigging or manipulation through the card reader or any other form,” he said.
No fewer than 1,280,580 voters with Permanent Voter Cards would decide who the governor would be out of the 28 contestants in Saturday’s governorship election.
Although 1,659,186 voters were registered for the election, 378,606 did not turn up to collect their PVCs.