SaharaReporters first broke the news of the hijacked election materials by hoodlums working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The news was confirmed by the REC in the State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner of the “inconclusive Ilaje Constituency I and II election” into the Ondo State House of Assembly, held penultimate Saturday.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Segun Agbaje to journalists in Akure, the capital city, said the commission decided to uphold the verdict of the Returning Officer from the April 11, Ondo Assembly election for the two Ilaje Constituencies.
The electoral body had declared the results of the election from the two constituencies into the State House of Assembly as “inconclusive”, after stating that the Returning Officer who oversees the election was “forced” to announced the results under duress following reported cases of irregularities in the coaster area.
SaharaReporters first broke the news of the hijacked election materials by hoodlums working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The news was confirmed by the REC in the State.
In the statement, Mr. Agbaje said the two candidates of the PDP won the elections in line with the 2010 electoral act as amended, and 2015 elections approved guidelines.
He said the declared winners of the PDP candidates are: Abayomi Akinruntan for Ilaje Constituency I and Malachi Coker for Ilaje Constituency II.
According to the statement, which in part said, “since a candidate had been declared and returned as winner of the Ilaje (1) Constituency in the State House of Assembly Election held on 11th April, 2015 by the Returning Officer, the commission would allow the verdict to strong.
“That since a candidate had been declared and returned as winner of the Ilaje (II) Constituency in the State House of Assembly Election held n 11th April, 2015 by the Returning Officer, the commission would also not want to alter the verdict”, it read.
SaharaReporters correspondent found that with the declaration, the PDP now has 21 seats against the All Progressives Congress (APC), which had 5 seats in the Ondo State Assembly.