25th February, 2019
Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
The ruling party in Oyo State, All Progressive Congress, APC, has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over what it described as anomalies that led to the defeat of its 2019 Senatorial Candidate Governor Abiola Ajimobi in his bid to return to the Senate.
As at the time of filing this report, Governor Ajimobi would be the first loser in Oyo State that INEC will receive a petition on to show displeasure of his result.
APC submitted the petition attached with a police report to the registry department of the commission at about 12:30 noon, Monday, shortly after its candidate lost to Dr Kola Balogun of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who was 2006 Commissioner for Commerce Cooperatives and 2007 to 2011 Commissioner for Works and Transport in the state.
The petition was delivered by the state party’s Director of Research and Strategy, Dr Azeez Olatunde
The petition which has been prepared before the announcement of the defeat of Governor Ajimobi was said to have been brought to the commission’s office on Sunday February 24, 2019 when the party alleged to have got winds of some anomalies in some voting areas in the district but was not collected.
Olatunde held that Ajimobi did not lose the election but was robbed of victory as political thugs were used to unleashed mayhem on party supporters in some parts of the state which led to the death of a young boy.
Dr Balogun was declared winner by the returning officer, Professor Wole Akinsola after polling 105,720 votes while Governor Ajimobi polled 92,218 to come second at the election. The incumbent Senator Adesoji Akanbi lost the seat by coming third with 49,437, follow by Fola Akinosun.