One of the senatorial aspirants for Ekiti Central District in Sunday’s primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, Oladimeji Ajijola, has accused the party of plans to manipulate the results of the election, which he claimed he won.
Ajijola, who contested the party’s ticket with a former member of the National Assembly, Senator Bode Ola, Obafemi Adewale and Fatima Raji Rasaki, said the returning officer of the primary election, Hon. Segun Akinwumi, and Owoseni Ajayi declared him victorious having secured the support of 108 out of the 215 accredited delegates that voted.
He said: “There were 219 delegates, but 215 were accredited and voted.
“The result of the election read that I, Ajijola, scored 108, Rasaki 80, Ola 12 and Mr. Obafemi Adewale scored 16, with three absent.
“After the result was announced, both Owoseni and Adewumi congratulated me.
“When I asked for the result sheet, they said that it would be given to me at the party’s secretariat.
“But on getting there, the secretariat was locked.
“What surprised me now is that somebody and her supporters that did not win are now jubilating that Mrs. Rasaki won.”
Ajijola expressed disappointment that the election, which was free and fair, was being manipulated in favour of a defeated aspirant.
Ajijola, however, said that he would toe the party’s line guiding the election by petitioning the Election Appeal Panel.
But Owoseni, in his reaction, denied being a returning officer but an electoral officer adding: “Our duty was to conduct the election and report to the headquarters of the party.
“The result was that Raji Rasaki emerged the scorer of highest lawful votes at the election.”
When asked to give the details of the results, Owoseni said he did not know the result off hand, adding that he did not also congratulate Ajijola as claimed by him.
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