PDP candidate emerges winner of Ife bye-election

The candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dipo Eluwole, has emerged winner of the rerun election into the Osun State House of Assembly Ife Central Constituency.

This was announced by the Returning Officer of the bye-election into the Osun State House of Assembly Ife Central Constituency, Dr. Francis Oladimeji on Sunday.

While the PDP candidate had a total of 5504 Votes, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Prince Tilewa Sijuwade, scored 4587 votes; and Accord Party candidate, Olusegun Fanibe got 4790 votes.

The PDP winner defeated APC with a margin of 714 votes.

Others parties that participated in the election‎ are Citizens Popular Party (CPP), with 91 votes; Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP) got 11 votes; and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) had 25 votes.

‎Following the snatching of ballot boxes at Agbedegbe Street, Moore Ojaja Unit 02 and Moore Ojaja Unit 03, a fresh election was conducted on Sunday.

During the Sunday re-run ele‎ction, PDP had 82 votes; Accord, 78; and APC 26.

According to the Returning Officer, Dr. Francis Oladimeji, 95114 voters registered: 15312 accredited; ‎15312 total votes cast; 15008 were valid votes; while 304 votes were rejected.

The bye-election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was to fill the vacant seat of Ife Central Constituency at Osun State House of Assembly.

The seat became vacant following the death of Mr. Oladejo Makinde in December last year.

‎After the announcement of Sunday’s result, supporters of the PDP were seen jubilating as they also declared rally.

Speaking after his victory, Eluwole said, “This is a victory well deserved. It’s the beginning of progress and development in Ile-Ife and Osun State as a whole.”

In some of the polling units visited by our correspondent on Saturday, officials of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and security operatives were on ground.

At Ilare, Unit 3 Ward IV, voters complained that the card reader malfunctioned.

A voter in the ward said, “We almost fought here when a security officer was caught telling people which party to vote for.”

One of the voters, who doubles as the APC candidate, Prince Tilewa Sijuwade said immediately that was noticed, the authorities of State Security Service were contacted to replace the officer.

He added, “So far, the election has been good. We only had an itch with the card reader, but it is now functioning as expected. We also have issue with a security agent and he has been replaced. At the end of the day, we don’t want crisis.”

Though, the election witnessed low turn-out, there were also reports of violence in some polling unit.

In Agbedegbede Street PU 002 and Moore Street PU 003, snatching of ballot boxes led to cancellation of votes and another election.

Also, Police on Saturday arrested some hoodlums who attempted to snatch election materials.

The hoodlums were said to have stormed some polling units around Moore and Ilare and made attempts to snatch ballot papers and other sensitive materials.

However, the three main candidates, All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Tilewa Sijuwade, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dipo Eluwole, and Accord Party, Olusegun Ayodele Fanibe, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of electoral officers and security agents.

Speaking on the cancelled election, INEC Returning Officer, Francis Oladimeji said, “Election in two polling units were cancelled. That is Agbedegbe Street, Moore Ojaja Unit 02 and Moore Ojaja. The number of accredited voters in the two units is 872. The margin between the first two candidates is 710 by our record.