Kiribo, Ondo State — Agboola Ajayi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2024 Ondo State election, has secured victory at his polling unit, Apoi Ward 02, Unit 004 in Kiribo, Ese Odo Local Government Area.
Ajayi received 194 votes out of the 204 accredited voters, leaving a significant gap between him and his opponents.
The incumbent governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, came in a distant second with just 3 votes, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate managed to secure only one vote. The results were officially announced and certified by Splamurren Dhikarulahi Opeyemi, the Presiding Officer at the unit.
Despite winning at his polling unit, Ajayi expressed dissatisfaction with the overall electoral process. He raised concerns about the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which had delayed his accreditation for about 10 minutes due to a malfunction. Ajayi went further to allege that the system was compromised, suggesting deliberate mishandling by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking to journalists, Ajayi remarked, “The system has been compromised. It is sad INEC can’t conduct an election well in one state.” His frustrations echoed earlier complaints by the PDP, which accused INEC of technical shortcomings and alleged biases among its officials, particularly targeting the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barrister Olatoyin Babalola.
“We have repeatedly said we don’t trust Barrister Olatoyin Babalola,” Ajayi emphasized. “I think it is deliberate on the part of INEC and the REC. And we’ve said this several times that the woman can’t be fair. People are complaining of vote buying. It is a very shameful exercise.”
Meanwhile, tension marred the electoral atmosphere in other parts of Ondo State. Reports from SaharaReporters indicate that suspected thugs fired multiple gunshots in Idanre town, specifically at Ofosu village in the Idanre council area. The attack caused widespread panic, forcing residents to stay indoors and voters to flee polling centers for safety, fearing stray bullets.
The ongoing security challenges have heightened concerns about the fairness and safety of the election process across the state.
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