Agency Report
Governors Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti have been declared winners of the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) governorship primaries in their states.
In Osun, Nasir El-Rufai, the Chief Returning Officer of the Planning Committee of the primary, announced Mr. Aregbesola as the winner in Osogbo on Saturday.
Mr. El-Rufai said, “About 355,729 members registered for the party and 269,631 came out to vote with their membership voter cards for the primary.’’
He said the primary was smooth and well organised in all the 332 wards in the state.
The governor, who was the only candidate in the primary, has thus secured the APC governorship ticket in the Aug. 9 election.
He urged the people of Osun to come out en masse on Aug. 9 to vote for him and urged them to ensure that their votes counted. The governor restated his readiness to serve the people for another four years in order to complete ongoing projects.
In Ekiti, Mr. Fayemi emerged winner with 192,767 votes. Chairman of the six-man national electoral panel, Osita Izunaso, who announced the results in Ado-Ekiti, said the figures were generated from votes cast at Saturday’s council and state congresses.
He said Mr. Fayemi scored 22,314 votes in Oye, 21,814 in Ado-Ekiti, 8793 in Ikere, 10, 983 in Gbonyin, 10,704 in Ekiti East, 16, 848 in Ekiti South-West, and 8,801 in Ise/Orun.
Others are: Emure, 6,623, Ijero, 13,454, Irepodun/Ifelodun, 13,151, Ekiti West, 12, 198, Efon, 7,548, Ido/Osi, 10,472, Moba, 10,146, Ilejemeje, 5,157 and Ikole, 13,751.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Fayemi said he was humbled by the solidarity displayed for him by the party members across the state.
He vowed to justify the confidence reposed in him by winning the governorship election for the party on June 21.
Meanwhile, the APC in Osun on Saturday recorded a large turn-out of party faithful for its local government congress in Ede, Egbedore and Ejigbo local government areas.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, said the party would continue to operate within the laid down rules and constitution of the party.
Mr. Salaam said the massive turnout of people was evidence that the people believed in the continuity of the administration of Mr. Aregbesola.
Senator Mudashir Hussain (APC-Osun East), said the party would ensure peaceful, free and fair governorship election in the state.
The Chief Whip of the State House of assembly, Ipoola Binuyo, said the people of the state would resist any form of violence during the election.
Kamil Oyedele, Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, said the party would ensure that one man, one vote principle was adhered to.
