The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in Ogun State, Anthony Ojeshina, has rejected the result of Saturday’s election, describing the outcome as ‘a rape of democracy’.
Ojeshina who stepped down for the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Oladipupo Adebutu, a few days to the election, said the facts on the ground were enough for the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare the election inconclusive.
The INEC returning officer for the governorship and state assembly election in the state, Prof. Kayode Adebowale had on Sunday, declared governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election.
Adebowale said Abiodun polled a total of 276,298 votes, while Ladi Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party scored 262,383 and the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Biyi Otegbeye garnered 94,754 votes.
Ojeshina in a statement on Thursday faulted the INEC for declaring Abiodun winner of the election despite the violence in some parts of the state.
He said, “the declaration by the INEC is a rape of our democratic process.
“It is clear to all that the governorship election should have been declared inconclusive based on hard facts on ground and the 2022 INEC Electoral Act.
“The SDP and other coalition partners remain committed to the cause of ensuring that Hon Ladi Adebutu gets justice and occupies his rightful position as the legitimate governor of Ogun State.
“SDP remains committed to the course of creating a model state and will join hands with PDP to actualise this.
“We are counting on the judiciary, the peoples’ last arbiter to salvage this travesty of Justice.”