APC to challenge Ekiti governorship election result in Court

Still hurting from the defeat it suffered at the Ekiti governorship poll last Saturday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) at its National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja, Thursday, resolved to go to court to challenge the outcome of the election which it said was marred by several constitutional breaches through harassment and intimidation of citizens by security forces.

The latest resolve runs counter to the party’s earlier position to respect whatever the defeated Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, decides concerning the outcome of the election.

Fayemi had, soon after the results were declared, conceded victory to Mr. Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and congratulated him. The duo have also held preliminary meeting on how to set up a transition committee.

Former Governor Fayose had polled 203,090 of the votes cast in the governorship election, to defeat the incumbent Governor Fayemi of APC who scored 120,433 votes.

Although the APC praised Governor Fayemi for being a true democrat by congratulating his opponent and not resorting to a do-or-die battle, the party said the processes of the election before, during and after voting were not entirely free and fair.

In a communique issued after the inaugural meeting of its NWC, the party noted that while voting on election day might not have been characterised by the usual brigandage and violence, the entire process was everything but free and fair.

"Therefore, in order to prevent a recurrence of what happened in Ekiti, especially the militarisation of the process, the harassment and intimidation of citizens, especially those in opposition, my party has decided to challenge in court some of these constitutional breaches and will also encourage our leaders and supporters, who were arrested, harassed and intimidated to seek the enforcement of their constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights that were recklessly abridged by the security agencies", it said.

The communique read out to journalists at the party's national secretariat in Abuja by APC's National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, said events of the voting day itself might have led many to believe that the election was free and fair, while the same could not be said of the events before, during and after the election. 

The party said its decision to act is not only to ensure that irresponsible and unconstitutional acts are not repeated in subsequent elections, especially that of Osun in August and next year's general election.