Biodun Oyebanji, the immediate past Secretary to the Ekiti State Government, has emerged the winner of the All Progressives Congress governorship primaries.
The winner declared by the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State.
Badaru Oyebanji polled 101,703 out of the total number of votes cast.
He made the declaration at the State Collation Centre, APC Secretariat, Ajilosun, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
He pronounced: “It is my pleasure to declare Biodun Oyebanji as the winner of this primary, having scored the highest votes cast.
“Having satisfied all necessary criteria, I hereby declare Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji as the winner.”
Badaru added that Ekiti State APC had 183,560 registered members, 107,877 members were accredited and total votes cast was 104,983.
The Chairman expressed surprise at the allegations by some aspirants that they were not consulted, adding that 20 names were submitted by each of the aspirants to be added to the list of the Returning Officers and they were all captured.
He explained that the meeting that was earlier slated for Thursday morning between the committee and the aspirants was cancelled because there was security report that the venue was tensed.
He said they had to call for the assistance of security agents to arrest the situation.
The Chairman said that the primaries took place across the 177 wards and that it was free and fair.
Badaru said: “However, there are pockets of violence.
“Qhen we receive the results, we will know.
“Where we need to cancel, we will.
“As we have earlier promised, we have ensured a level playing ground for all aspirants.”
On the protest by some of the aspirants, the committee Chairman added that he had not received any official petition, but only heard about it in the media.
Badaru directed that the Returning Officers of the wards where elections were not held should write their reports and submit same to the committee.
The results presented by the 16 Local Government Area Returning Officers revealed that Oyebanj won in all the council areas.
The breakdown of the results revealed other aspirants scored as follows: Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, 760; Femi Bamisile, 400; Kayode Ojo, 767; Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, 691; and Bamidele Faparusi, 376.
Others were Demola Popoola, 239; and Chief Oluwasola Afolabi, 47.
Option A4, also referred to as Direct Primary, was adopted for the election.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that six of the eight aspirants had in the morning protested alleged hijack of the exercise and called for its stoppage and cancellation.
The two aspirants absent at the protest were Oyebanji and Popoola.
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