How APC Played into the Hands of INEC to Lose Ekiti to PDP

National leader of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu

A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Ipoola Omisore has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) playing into the hand of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to lose the Ekiti governorship election.

It would be recalled that the incumbent governor of Ekiti of APC, Dr. Kayode Fayemi lost the June 21 guber poll to his counterpart of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ayodele Fayose.

The lawmaker who is the committee Chairman House Service and Special Duties made the observation while speaking at a weekly programme organized by the Lagos State House of Assembly correspondents at Alausa Ikeja.

According to him, INEC had ruled that permanent voter cards would have to be used in the election as against temporary ones which majority of the electorate were still holding. He believes such move was a ploy to favour PDP’s candidate.

Omisore representing Ifako-Ijaiye II stated that the PDP had taken the advantage to get the permanent cards for their supporters because of their closeness to INEC.

“INEC used a trick and gave order that permanent cards should be used, our members could not get theirs but PDP used their closeness with INEC and got for their people.”

Although, Omisore said that majority of the APC’s supporters failed to get the permanent cards but PDP had no blame, having taken the advantage, adding “you don’t blame somebody for his political sagacity; you don’t blame somebody for being clever.”

The lawmaker also condemned the militarization of the election, saying the number of soldiers in Ekiti on the election day was scary which according to him, discouraged some electorate from participating in the election.

He added that APC would have to challenge such bombardment by the soldiers in a law court to forestall a re-occurrence at future elections.

In his words, “Our party needs to get court declaration to stop soldiers at elections, otherwise the forthcoming election in Osun will be in trouble.”

He stressed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate in Ekiti poll, Ayodele Fayose was not popular than the governor, Kayode Fayemi but the process leading to the election was fraud.

“Even though, our party would not challenge the election result, we must challenge the process to prove a mark,” he said.