Yesterday monday, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ‎said the Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State should be cancelled

Although the outgoing governor, Olusegun Mimiko, sent a congratulatory message to the governor -elect, Rotimi Akeredolu.

 

The Makarfi committee, in a statement yesterday its spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, directed the party’s candidate for the election, Barr. Eyitayo Jegede, and the state chapter of the party to head to the election petition tribunal and challenge the results of the election. 

 

“In view of the fact that the election was blatantly manipulated from the beginning to the end to favour the APC, we vehemently reject the results of the November 26, 2016 gubernatorial election in Ondo State. The election and all actions leading to it fall short of laid down principles guiding conduct of elections in Nigeria. We have instructed our candidate and the Ondo State chapter of our party to proceed to the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election. 

 We call on the judiciary to redeem Nigeria’s image on this matter as we request for the total cancellation of the election in Ondo State.

 It is common knowledge that the APC agents openly bought votes of the electorate in the full glare of security operatives, who did nothing to prevent such dastardly violation of the electoral law. 

It was a carefully planned and well-orchestrated strategy to rig the election well in advance preventing the PDP from planning and campaigning for the election. The APC has therefore introduced a new formula for rigging election in Nigeria,” the statement said.  ‎

 

But Mimiko in a statement his Chief Press Secretary, Eni Akinsola, made available in Akure, as reported the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said “it behoves on me as Governor of Ondo State to congratulate the Governor-elect, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and wish him success in the challenging task of governing our dear state. It is incumbent upon me as Governor to facilitate smooth transition between my government and the incoming one. I will, to this end, provide the ambience for a smooth and seamless transition process.”