The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Mr. Dare Bejide, has officially rejected the results of the recent gubernatorial election, citing widespread irregularities and a lack of credibility in the electoral process. Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Bejide condemned the conduct of the election, describing it as taking place in an atmosphere “replica of a war zone.” He accused the ruling party of engaging in vote buying through the distribution of money and food to influence voters, calling it a clear sign of poor governance.
Bejide stated that the government should have relied on its achievements to win public support rather than resorting to financial inducements. “My immediate reaction is to reject the result in its entirety because the exercise was not credible,” he declared. He pointed to specific polling units, including his own, where he said the environment was tense and chaotic. “You all witnessed what happened. Some places were almost like a war zone,” he added, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the election day.
The ADC candidate further alleged that political appointees and a serving senator brought thugs and security personnel to polling stations, creating an intimidating environment for voters. He claimed that in some areas, the election appeared to be taking place only in his polling unit, calling it “a sad day for democracy.” Bejide also accused the ruling party of openly conducting vote buying, with bags of money brought to polling units and enormous sums spent to sway voters.
He argued that such actions reflect the government’s failure to deliver on its promises. “If they had performed well, there would have been no need to rely on money,” Bejide stated. Despite the rejection of the results, he emphasized that his team is still gathering and analyzing data from various polling units. “I have not personally seen the full results; I have only heard reports on social media,” he said, noting that his team is currently collating available results.
Once the analysis is complete, Bejide said the party will brief its members and decide on the appropriate next steps. “At this stage, we are certainly not satisfied with the conduct of the election,” he affirmed. He urged his supporters and Ekiti residents to remain peaceful and calm, assuring them that the party is carefully studying the results before taking further action. The ADC candidate’s rejection of the outcome adds to growing concerns over electoral integrity in the state, as stakeholders await clarity on the next phase of the political process.
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