PDP candidate rejects inconclusive election in Ondo South

Mr Nicholas Tofowomo has rejected the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission declaring election in Ondo South Senatorial District inconclusive. Tofowomo is the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo South Senatorial District in the last Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections.

 The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Tofowomo polled 79,029 votes against his closest rival. Sen. Yele Omogunwa of the All Progressives Congress who scored 51,993. Prof. Kayode Onifade, the INEC Returning Officer for Ondo South declared the election inconclusive over what he described as various irregularities in the election. He also cited the cancelled votes of 28,047, which was higher than the leading margin of 27,036 votes as another reason for the decision to declare the election inconclusive.

However, in a statement on Monday by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Nicholas Tofowomo Campaign Organisation, Mr Olumide Akinrionlola, Tofowomo condemned the decision.

The PDP candidate alleged that INEC in conjunction with the APC were on course to subvert the will of the people of Ondo South. Tofowomo said that Onifade was unable to give a satisfactory account of the Polling Units where various irregularities occurred until he (Onifade) got to Akure.

 He noted that three House of Representatives members were declared winners in the same areas where the senatorial elections were held simultaneously, adding that something was fishy on the decision of INEC on the issue. The PDP candidate urged INEC, to as a matter of urgency, declare him as the winner of the senatorial seat without delay.

 He, however, urged his supporters to be calm and avoid taking laws into their hands. “We reject in it is entirety the inconclusive decision of INEC for the Ondo South Senatorial election because it is a ploy by INEC and APC to subvert the will of the electorate.

 “We challenge INEC to give a satisfactory account of areas of irregularities because the three members of House Representatives were declared winners of the same election held simultaneously in the same areas.

“It is worrisome for INEC Returning Officer to say he can only give names of troubled areas responsible for the inconclusiveness when he gets to Akure.

 “I hereby urge our supporters to be calm and ensure they are law-abiding because our victory cannot be shortchanged,” Tofowomo said.