Some early results of the Ondo State governorship poll analysed by Sunday PUNCH have revealed that the incumbent governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is in early lead in the race.
TheCable reported that Akeredolu is leading his opponents with over 84,011 votes in 12 local government areas.
The local governments are: Ile Oluji, Akoko North-East, Akoko South-West, Akoko South-East, Akoko North-West, Irele, Ose, Ifedore, Owo, Okitipupa, Akure North-West, and Idanre.
According to the results that the Independent National Electoral Commission has declared at the collation centres of the 12 LGAs, Akeredolu polled 189,489 votes as of the time of filing this report.
However, further analysis also showed that the two other major contenders-Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party and Agboola Ajayi of the Zenith Labour Party-were clearly dominating in their strongholds in the October 10 governorship election.
Jegede is trailing the incumbent with 108,195 votes, leaving a margin of 74,735. Ajayi of the ZLP came a distant third with 37,806 votes.
Akeredolu, who hails from the Ondo North Senatorial District, appears to be leading in most of the polling units and a number of local government areas.
The LGAs in the Ondo North are: Akoko North-East, Akoko North-West, Akoko South-West, Akoko South-East, Owo and Ose.
Jegede, is also leading in a number of the LGAs and polling units in the Ondo Central Senatorial District where he hails from.
The LGAs in the Ondo Central are: Akure South, Akure North, Ifedore, Idanre, Ondo West and Ondo East.
Similarly, Ajayi of the ZLP who is from the Ondo South Senatorial District, won in some of the polling units and LGAs in his stronghold.
The LGAs in Ondo South are: Ile-Oluji/Oke Igbo, Odigbo, Okitipupa, Irele, Ilaje and Ese Odo.
Aside from the reports of violence in a few places, the election was peaceful in most of the local government areas.
Akeredolu leads in three wards in Akoko South-East
Results from Ward 1, Epinmi; Ward 2, Epinmi 2; and Ward 3, Ifira, showed that the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, led in the three wards with 2,883 votes.
The PDP candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, polled 1,304 votes in the three wards, while the Zenith Labour Party candidate came a distant third with 378 votes.
The breakdown showed that in Ward 1, the APC had 607 votes while the PDP had 404 votes. The ZLP came a distant third with 72 votes.
Meanwhile, in Ward 2, the APC got a total of 546 votes while the PDP had 417 votes. The ZLP got 84 votes.
In the third ward, Ifira, the APC got 1,730 votes while the PDP had 483 votes and the ZLP, 222 votes.
A further breakdown of the wards showed that in Ward 1, which has eight polling units, the APC won all the polling units except two-namely Polling Unit 2 and 3. In Unit 2, the PDP got 41 votes while the APC got 32 votes. Also, in Unit 6, the PDP got 58 votes while the APC got 57.
In Ward 3, Ifira, the APC led in all the six units.
In Ondo-West LGA, results from 11 out of the 12 wards had been collated as of 9:25 pm on Saturday. None had been recorded for Litaye/Iparaku/Lijoka Ward on the results portal of INEC.
Out of the 16 Polling Units in Enuowa/Obalalu Ward, the results of St James Grammar School, Agunbiade Area 2 were cancelled.
In a piece of paper signed by Ajimobi Kareem A. (RATECH) and the Collation Officer, Dr D. O. Fadodun, it was declared that, “The result of 28/06/01/013 was council (sic) due to over voting. Thanks.”
From the remaining 15 units in Enuowa/Obalalu Ward, APC scored 970; PDP, 915; and ZLP, 865.
In Gbaghengha/Gbogbo/Ajagba Alaafia Ward where there are 32 units, APC polled 1,592; PDP, 1,142; and ZLP, 728.
Akeredolu wins 12 wards in Okitipupa
Akeredolu cleared 12 out of the 13 wards in the Okitipupa Local Government Area in the Southern Senatorial District of the state.
The Deputy Governor and Zenith Labour Party candidate, Agboola Ajayi, won the remaining one ward while the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, didn’t win any.
In all, while APC had 19,266 votes, PDP got 10, 367 and ZLP secured 10,120. The breakdown showed that in Ward 1, Ayeka/Igbodigo APC polled 1,531, PDP scored 704 and ZLP got 1,215. For Ward 2, Erinje, APC polled 1,376, PDP got 770 and ZLP 756.
In Ward 3, Igbotako I, APC (1,317), PDP (471) and ZLP (553) while in Ward 4, Igbotako II, APC had 1,469, PDP polled 568 and ZLP scored 395. In Ward 5, Ijuodo/Erekiti, APC (1,569), PDP (506) and ZLP (290).
In Ward 6, Ikoya/Oloto, APC (1,534), PDP (776) and ZLP (555). In Ward 7, Ilutitun I, APC (1,189), PDP (849) and ZLP – 231. In Ward 8, Ilutitun II, APC (1,106), PDP (1,020) and ZLP (322). In Ward 9, Ilutitun III, APC (1,408), PDP (1,222) and ZLP (410).
In Ward 10, Ode Aye I, APC (1,851), PDP (990) and ZLP (988). In Ward 11, Ode Aye II, APC (1,154), PDP (864) and ZLP (629). In Ward 12, Okitipupa I, APC (1,634), PDP (739) and ZLP (1,866). For Ward 13, Okitipupa II, APC had 2,128, PDP got 888 and ZLP 1,910.
Also in the Ondo South Local GovernmentArea located within Akure metropolis, where Jegede is from, the results obtained from five units in the LG showed that the PDP candidate garnered 1, 326, while the APC and ZLP polled 483 votes and 61 votes respectively.
In Akure North, results from two units in Oba Ile in the council area indicated that Jegede got 335 and APC and ZLP candidates had 206 and 35 respectively.
In Owo Local Government Area, where Akeredolu hails from, results from three units in Owo Ward 1 indicated that he got a total of 1,052 votes, while his counterparts in the PDP and ZLP got 51 votes and 6 votes respectively.
PDP wins five of nine units in Ero/Ibuji/Mariwo ward
Jegede polled 855 votes to defeat Akeredolu who polled 733 votes in Ero/Ibuji/Mariwo ward in the Ifedore Local Government Area of the state.
These figures were contained in the official results posted on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s election result portal on Saturday.
Ifedore has 151 polling units spread across 10 electoral wards which make up the local government.
According to the results, the race between the two front runners in the unit was close in many instances. However, the APC and the PDP candidates were tied with 71 votes apiece in polling unit 007, Dispensary Ibuji 1. Ajayi came a distant third with a total of 76 votes. The unit by unit upload of the results was still being accessed as at the time of filing this report.
However, Ajayi was leading in his major stronghold — the Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.
In the results from the wards in the local government, obtained from the INEC portal, out of the three wards available at the time of filing this report, Ajayi was leading Akeredolu by over 500 votes. In the available three wards, Ajayi scored a total of 3,292 votes, while Akeredolu polled 2,754 and Jegede had 675 votes.
‘70% Ondo poll results uploaded on INEC portal’
INEC has said results in the governorship election will be in “hopefully” by Sunday afternoon.
The INEC National Commissioner, Prof Anthonia Simbine, made this known during a television programme in Akure, the state capital, on Saturday evening.
Simbine said about 70 per cent of the results from all polling units in the state had been uploaded on the INEC results viewing portal.
She, however, stated that the commission was mindful of the fact that the state was riverine in nature and results from some areas in the state would come in late.
Asked when a winner would be announced, Simbine said, “I don’t think we can say for definite now. We all know that Ondo State is quite large with varying types of terrains including going over the seas. All the results have to come in before we can really say.
“Right now, polling units’ results have been uploaded. We have about 75 per cent of those units’ results uploaded on the INEC results viewing portal.
“But nothing can happen. These have to pass through the RA (Registration Area/Ward Level) collation as well as local government collation centres.
“We are aware particularly in the case of Ilaje that they have not concluded their RA collation and they will be doing that at Igbokoda hopefully tonight (Saturday).
“It is doubtful that they will be able to come at all. But hopefully, probably, by mid-day tomorrow (today), everything should be in, plus or minus.”
Vote buying, low compliance with COVID-19 protocol recorded–Yiaga Africa
A Civil Society Organisation, Yiaga Africa, said the election was marred with vote buying and inadequate compliance with Covid-19 protocol, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.
The Co-chair, Yiaga Africa 2020 Ondo Election Observation Mission, Dr Aisha Abdullahi, stated this on Saturday at a press conference on the situational report on the election.
Abdulahi said it received reports of vote-buying from Akure South, Ose, Ondo West, Ilaje and Akure North with the secrecy of the ballot being compromised.
She said, “Despite attempts by polling officials to prevent voters and party agents from showing how ballot papers were marked, these electoral offences occurred in the presence of security personnel who made no attempt in some cases to reprimand the culprits.”
She also decried the poor observation of social distancing across all the polling units observed.
Abdulahi, however, noted that the commencement of polls, compliance with INEC COVID-19 protocol on the two-tier queuing system in 88 per cent of polling units, the presence of infrared thermometer and disinfectant/sanitisers in 74 per cent of polling units were observed.
She said, in assessing the electoral process’ responsiveness to the needs of persons with disabilities, it tracked the presence of disability-sensitive election materials with the presence of the Braille ballot guide in 59 per cent of polling units.
Abdulahi also observed magnifying glasses in 27 per cent of polling units, forms EC 40H (PWD Voter information and statistics) in 93 per cent of polling units and the PWD posters Form EC 30E in 90 per cent of polling units.
