Saraki, Gov. Ahmed react to Kwara by-election won by APC

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Governor Abdulfatah
Ahmed have both reacted to the Saturday’s by-election in Kwara
State won by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress
(APC).

Both politicians, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
alleged that the process was skewed against their party.

The APC candidate, Raheem Olawuyi, was on Saturday declared the
winner of the Ekiti / Irepodun / Isin / Oke – Ero Federal
Constituency by-election held across the four councils in Kwara
State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said
Olawuyi polled 21 , 236 to emerge winner.

The Returning Officer for the election, Abimbola Adesoji, while
declaring the result at the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat
in Omu -Aran, said the APC candidate defeated his closest rival,
Saheed Damilare of the PDP, who polled 18,095.

Mr Abimbola, a professor at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile
-Ife, declared Mr Olawuyi winner of the election having scored the
highest number of votes.

Other contestants in the election were Femi Ona- Ara of Labour
Party, Ajadi Olayemi of Peoples Party of Nigeria as well as
Olaniyan Ayorinde of Unity Party of Nigeria.

The returning officer gave the total number of total registered
voters as collated as 168 ,707 , accredited voters as 41 ,185 , the
total valid votes as 39 ,599 , total number of rejected votes as 1
,331 and the total number of votes cast as 40 , 930.

But Messrs Saraki and Ahmed, have alleged that the elections
were marred by intimidation of voters by security officials.

In a statement sent to our reporter on Saturday, Mr Ahmed
described the House of Representatives by-election as a contest
between the PDP and security agents rather than among political
parties although he expressed confidence in his party’s
victory.

A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and
Communications, Muyideen Akorede, stated that reports available to
the governor from the four local government areas in which
elections were held indicated wide-spread harassment, arrests and
intimidation of PDP members and supporters by security
personnel.

He, however, commended PDP members and supporters across the
federal constituency for standing their ground and defying the
threats posed by the security agents by coming out to exercise
their franchise at the risk of harm and arrest.

He said the heightened fear and intimidation orchestrated
against PDP members and supporters and abetted by security agents
led to voter apathy and poor turn-out in the areas that are
traditional strong-holds of fhe party.

Similarly, Mr Saraki alleged that it was the first time that
elections in Kwara State will be held under such charged, tensed
and militarised conditions, adding that they are signs of things to
come in 2019.

“We had INEC officials complaining about their own safety — and
PDP supporters were brazenly intimidated, which resulted in low
turn out of voters,” he tweeted on his verified Twitter page.

“The public should note that today’s #KwaraByElection was simply
between PDP and security agents plus APC. This was due to the heavy
deployment of police, soldiers and other security agents who
gathered to support APC and harass PDP leaders and supporters.

“It is important to reiterate that ahead of the 2019 elections,
such open displays of intimidation are sending wrong signals. Our
democracy is being undermined with this misuse of our nation’s
security apparatus. #KwaraByElection.”

Political commentators say the election is a test of the two
major political parties’ strength in Kwara ahead of the 2019
elections.

Mr Ahmed is gunning for a senatorial seat upon completion of his
eight-year tenure as governor while Mr Saraki, who represents Kwara
central in the upper chamber, also hopes to return to the
Senate.

Both men recently defected from the ruling APC to join the
opposition PDP about four years after they defected from the PDP
ahead of the 2015 general elections.

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