The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, on Saturday won the Ekiti All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for the governorship election slated for July 14, 2018.
He polled a total of 941 votes to beat his closest rival and former governor, Segun Oni, who polled 481 votes.
An aggregate of 2,327 delegates were accredited for the election out of which 2,313 valid votes were cast while 11 were invalidated.
The results also showed an engineer, Kayode Ojo, got 281 votes; Femi Bamisile, 179; Oluwole Oluyede, 110; Gbenga Aluko, 86; Bimbo Daramola, 28; Bamidele Faparusi, 23, Babafemi Ojudu, who had stepped down got 10 votes; Opeyemi Bamidele, 8; Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, 4; Ayo Arise, 2; Muyiwa Olumilua, 2 votes; Oladipo Ogunkoyode, 8; Kola Alabi, 14; Bisi Aloba, 7; Sesan Fatoba, 45; and Victor Kolade, 16.
The primary election was rescheduled after a failed exercise the previous Saturday, following the eruption of violence after aspirants and their agents disrupted the process.
Saturday’s election was heavily secured by the combined forces of the police, officials of the State Security Service and civil defence officials.
The number of security operatives appeared more than the number of delegates who participated in the primary, which held at the Damlek Event Centre in Ado Ekiti.
The runner-up, Mr Oni, has congratulated Mr Fayemi on his victory and promised to give him his support to win the governorship election.
He also said he would not leave the party as being insinuated as a result of his loss.
“I am a party person, I will not only support him (Fayemi), I will encourage him. I don’t have any intention of leaving the APC,” said Oni.
Speaking after he was announced as the winner of the primary, Fayemi called on his co-contestants to support him in the quest to win the next governorship election.
He said the battle had only started as the primary election was only the beginning of the struggle.
“But the battle has only just begun; the battle to reclaim our land and restore our values, the fight to ensure our great party comes out victorious in the July 14 general election,” he said.
“Without a doubt, Ekiti is in urgent need of rescue. It is imperative that we commence the task of purging ourselves of the bad reputation we have earned in recent years and restore good governance to the state.”
He said he was establishing his campaign advisory council which would be made up of all his co-contestants.
The minister restated his assertion that he was not returning to the Ekiti Government house on a revenge mission, but was moved by the desire to complete the unfinished business of deepening social programmes that would restore the state to prosperity and break the circle of poverty.
He thanked the delegates and the party for finding him worthy of bearing the flag of the party in the July 14 election.
He also appreciated the Tanko Al-Makura-led committee for conducting a hitch-free exercise that had offered the security agencies to redeem their image which was battered during the last exercise.
Speaking earlier, Mr Al-Makura thanked the aspirants for showing a high sense of maturity throughout the exercise.
He said the conduct of the primaries showed that APC would win the governorship election come July 14, 2018.
- From Premium Times
