The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the results of the Ondo State governorship election in which All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was declared the winner.
Mr. Ayedatiwa won in all 18 local governments, securing 366,781 votes, defeating Mr. Agboola Ajayi of the PDP, who secured 117,845 votes.
The results were announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after elections held on Saturday.
PDP spokesperson Debo Ologunagba said in a statement on Sunday that the election “does not meet all expectations and requirements of a free, fair and credible election.”
“The Peoples Democratic Party, and indeed all democracy-loving people in Nigeria and around the world, witnessed the worst possible elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” Ologunagba said.
The PDP accused the APC of orchestrating widespread “election fraud, deception and manipulation”, citing allegations of vote buying, monetization of electoral procedures and voter suppression.
Ologunagba asserted that “the polls confirmed widespread election commodification, monetization and blatant vote-buying,” adding that the PDP would scrutinize the election results and “take appropriate action.”
The party called on Nigerians and the international community to take "serious action” to address election manipulation and protect the integrity of the country’s democracy.
