Breaking: Fayemi Picks APC Ticket, Floors Segun Oni, 30 Others

Kayode Fayemi

 A  former governor of Ekiti State and Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, beat 31 other contestants to emerge the winner of the All Progressive Congress (APC) primary held ahead of the July 14 election in the state, Saturday. Fayemi polled 941 votes, followed by Mr Segun Oni 481, while Kayode Ojo 281, came third. 2,327 accredited delegates voted in the shadow election. By this victory, Fayemi will be contesting the governorship seat of the state with Prof Kolapo Olusola (Eleka) of the People’s Democratic Party in the July election. 

Olusola is being promoted by incumbent Governor Ayo Fayose of the PDP. A  former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Segun Oni put up a good fight as he tackled the serving Minister. In fact, yesterday’s contest was mainly between the two former governors of Ekiti.

 The other aspirants were more onlookers. Of surprise was the performance of Kayode Ojo , a business tycoon, who trailed the two front-liners to come third. Ojo is from lkoro Ekiti in ljero council area of the state. Recall that thugs disrupted penultimate Saturday of the APC primary of the APC held at Oluyemi Kayode Stadium after delegates from five councils of the 16 had voted. Yesterday’s election venue  was heavily manned by security operatives. 

The Chairman of the Election Committee, Governor Tanko Al- Makura, personally oversaw the exercise as as not to give any room for lapses.   Voting was concluded at 4:13 pm and doors leading to the hall of the voting arena were locked, with security agents standing guard. 

The sorting of votes started in earnest, and what each aspirant scored were placed inside boxes allotted to them Tanko Al Makura, assisted by Election Committee members, sorted the ballot papers one after the other Sorting of the 10 ballot boxes ended by 8:53pm Total number of 2,327 accredited delegates voted in the shadow election, out of 2,618 delegates. The 32 aspirants sat through the whole process. 

The much touted southern agenda could not stop the Minister’s victory, as the refusal of the 14 aspirants from the southern senatorial district to step down for each other largely affected their performance in the primary. Meanwhile, six false delegates and some thugs were arrested during the primary.

 They reportedly attempted to force their way into the venue of the election. Sunday Vanguard gathered that the suspects engaged security operatives who manned the gates as they insisted on going into the hall to vote without being accredited delegates. One of the suspects, after much argument, was alleged to have on his neck a charm wrapped in a red piece of cloth. 

Those arrested claimed to be delegates from various council areas of Ekiti but could not produce evidence that they were accredited delegates. A large sum of money was said to have been found in their possession. They were handed over to police detectives. 

Following the development, security at the two gates to the venue became tight. All those who passed through the gates were frisked to their pants by the police and officers of the DSS.