Politics
Ekiti PDP Governorship candidate, Kolapo Olusola rejects results, heads to court
Deputy Governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday governorship poll, Kolapo Olusola has rejected the results of the poll as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which declared All Progressive Congress (APC) Kayode Fayemi as winner.
Olusola justified his claims with allegations of intimidation, oppression and inducement by security agents which he claimed aided and abetted APC’s alleged manipulation of the electoral process that all gave Fayemi the victory.
He declared his rejection of the poll’s result to Nigerians, Ekiti people and the international community, saying: ” You are all aware of the unfortunate and dangerous events of the past 24 hours, in which our governorship election was hijacked by political desperadoes leveraging on “Federal might” to pervert the electoral process, subvert the will of Ekiti people, and viciously steal the mandate willingly and freely given to me on a massive scale by our people. PDP and I won the election overwhelmingly, receiving more than 70% of lawful votes cast and winning in almost all of the State’s 16 local government areas. I therefore reject the falsified results being bandied by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which purportedly gave the election to the All Progressives Congress and its Candidate; Dr. John Kayode Fayemi,” he said.
Olusola described the alleged manipulation of the poll as:” most audacious electoral robbery of our recent history”, which: “shall not stand”.
He alleged further that APC rigged the poll by leveraging on: ” its well-advertised but patently obnoxious and anti-democratic “Federal might” to intimidate, harass, victimize, oppress, and brutalize PDP leaders, members, and the voting public all over Ekiti “, saying; “This brutal and barbaric process, which started well before the election, did not spare Governor Ayo Fayose and me; as the whole world had seen and had condemned. It is quite unfortunate that the harassment has continued even after the election. ”
Taking on the INEC, Olusola said:”On Saturday, July 14th, the security agencies and INEC upped the ante, threw all caution to the wind, went back on their promises to be impartial and to conduct credible elections; they sided with APC and Fayemi to the chagrin of our party, myself, and the good people of Ekiti State. Despite the alarm we had earlier raised, the security agencies not only supported but also supervised the indiscriminate arrest of our party leaders and agents, the harassment and brutalization of voters on a massive scale, especially in Ado-Ekiti, Ikere and the suburbs, giving cover, tacit as well as active support to thugs imported into Ekiti by APC to snatch ballot boxes, create confusion, cause mayhem, and drive away voters in PDP strongholds, giving cover to APC agents as they financially and openly induced voters and bought votes at polling stations; and driving away our polling agents from collation centres and illegal seizure of documents and materials in their possession, among many other infractions.”
“INEC on its own part reneged on its promise to have results counted, declared, and pasted on the wall of each polling station. There was nowhere INEC transmitted results from the polling centres as earlier promised. Ballot boxes were illegally moved to INEC offices while our agents were disallowed from following the process.
” INEC also allowed late voting by APC in hideouts when it was obvious the figures still would not add up after all the infractions mentioned above. Still, when all of these shenanigans still failed to give them the figures they needed, they stopped the announcement of results ward-by-ward, caused a deliberate power outage at the collation centre, with no alternative source of power provided for a long time, and then wrote results in favour of APC and its candidate.
“Without doubt, what has played out in Ekiti is the APC template for the 2019 General Election, where they have mapped out Rivers and Akwa Ibom as States they must capture at all costs, like they are now trying to do Ekiti. It is now left for the opposition and opposition figures, most especially presidential hopefuls in 2019, to stand up to be counted in the struggle to roll back President Muhammadu Buhari’s creeping fascism, or throw in the towel without a fight.
” This is not just a sad day for Ekiti but also for democracy in Nigeria. Nothing demonstrates this better than the gloom that has enveloped our dear State since they announced their convoluted result. Ekiti mourns! But I ask our people not to be despondent but to keep hope alive, quoting the inimitable Chief MKO Abiola. This is another battle we will fight and win.
“In doing this, however, I appeal to all Ekiti sons and daughters to eschew violence. They will try and provoke you but the good Lord will help you to keep calm. Taking a cue from our great leader and democrat par excellence, ex-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, I wish to reiterate that my ambition is not worth the blood of a single Ekiti son or daughter. We are not cultists and bloody hounds like them and shall therefore not allow them turn Ekiti into a killing field like they have done in the Middle Belt.
“It remains for me to thank Ekiti for standing by me and our great party. Our royal fathers and the Oloris, teachers, civil servants, Okada riders, Labour leaders, market women, artisans, and students – I appreciate your unflinching support. We thank every Nigerian desirous to see the growth and defence of our renascent democracy.
“We thank the international community for their efforts and trust they will not let our people down in this their most trying moment. Those bent on setting this country on fire for selfish reasons must be restrained and turned back by the international community, mindful of the recent experience of Rwanda, Kosovo, Liberia, Sierra-Leone, Cote D’Ivoire, to mention but a few,” he said
Politics
Zamfara: Matawalle’s Former Adviser Defeats Governor Dauda Lawal’s PDP in Resounding Bye-Election Victory
Zamfara: Matawalle’s Former Adviser Defeats Governor Dauda Lawal’s PDP in Resounding Bye-Election Victory
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Kamilu Sa’idu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Kaura-Namoda South State Constituency bye-election, delivering a crushing blow to Governor Dauda Lawal’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Returning Officer, Lawal Sa’adu of the Federal University Gusau, announced that Sa’idu polled 1,181 votes in the supplementary election, defeating PDP’s Muhammad Lawal Kurya, who scored 194 votes.
Across the constituency, the APC secured 8,182 votes, while the PDP managed 5,544.
“Kamilu Sa’idu of the APC, having scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Sa’adu stated.
The supplementary election, conducted in Sakajiki (two polling units) and Kyambarawa (three polling units), followed an inconclusive by-election last Saturday at the Kasuwar Daji collation center.
The rerun was necessitated as the initial margin of 1,662 votes between the leading candidates was less than the 3,265 Permanent Voter Cards collected in the affected polling units.
Sa’idu, a former Special Adviser to ex-Governor Bello Matawalle, will now represent Kaura-Namoda South in the Zamfara State House of Assembly.
His victory is seen as a direct rebuke of Governor Lawal’s administration, which has been plagued by allegations of incompetence and escalating insecurity since 2023.
Despite Lawal’s claims of a guaranteed PDP victory, the results exposed his administration’s waning influence.
Reports indicate that Lawal deployed state-backed Zamfara Vigilante operatives to polling units, defying federal warnings against such tactics.
These efforts to intimidate voters and manipulate the process were resoundingly rejected by the electorate, who delivered a decisive mandate to the APC.
Lawal’s last-ditch campaign efforts, including two weeks of intense mobilization and accusations against the APC and his predecessors, fell flat.
The bye-election marks a historic low for Lawal, the first Zamfara governor to lose a bye-election, with the PDP securing only six wards.
APC Group Slams Defence Minister Badaru Over Bye-Election Loss, Demands Resignation
The Concerned Jigawa APC Forum (CJAF) has issued a scathing rebuke of the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, branding his performance in the recent Garki-Babura Federal Constituency bye-election as a “catastrophic political failure” and a threat to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
In a strongly worded press statement, the group demanded Badaru’s immediate resignation, citing his inability to secure votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in his home polling unit and ward as evidence of his dwindling political influence.
The bye-election, held on August 17, 2025, saw the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deliver a stunning defeat to the APC at Badaru’s polling unit (001) in Babura Kofar Arewa Primary School, Jigawa State, with the PDP securing 308 votes to the APC’s 112.
The loss extended to Badaru’s ward, where the PDP also dominated at the polling unit of his ally, Minister of State for Education, Mrs. Suwaiba Ahmad, winning 184 votes to the APC’s 22.
The CJAF highlighted reports of Badaru’s supposed allies celebrating the PDP’s victories, raising concerns about disloyalty within his camp and suggesting active sabotage against the APC.
“After eight years as Jigawa’s governor and two years as a federal minister, Badaru’s inability to deliver for the APC in his home base exposes him as a political liability,” said Alhaji Usman Tanko, President of the CJAF.
“His allies’ jubilation over PDP wins confirms he is no longer on the ground in Jigawa, and his continued presence in the cabinet risks dragging President Tinubu’s administration into disrepute.”
Despite the APC’s overall victory in the constituency, with candidate Mukhtar Rabi’u Garki securing 38,449 votes against the PDP’s 13,519, the CJAF credited Governor Umar Namadi’s effective governance and grassroots support for salvaging the win.
The group’s statement warned that Badaru’s failure in a key APC stronghold like Jigawa signals a dangerous erosion of support in the North West, a critical region for the party’s national ambitions.
The CJAF passed a vote of no confidence in Badaru, declaring him unfit to represent the APC or hold high office.
“Badaru’s collapse in a stronghold like Jigawa signals a dangerous erosion of APC support in the North West, a critical region for the party’s national ambitions,” Tanko added.
“His continued presence in the cabinet risks dragging the Tinubu administration into further disrepute, as his allies’ flirtations with the PDP threaten to fracture party unity.
“We demand that Badaru resign immediately as Minister of Defence. His abysmal track record and inability to add value to the APC in Jigawa, the North West, or nationally make his position untenable.
“While he may maintain a personal friendship with Mr. President, Nigeria’s interests supersede any individual’s ambitions. The country is bigger than Badaru, and it is time for him to step aside and allow fresh, capable leadership to bolster the APC’s prospects.
“His resignation is not just a necessity for Jigawa but a critical step to safeguard the party’s chances in 2027.
“We commend Governor Namadi for his steadfast leadership and urge INEC to maintain the integrity of the electoral process, as demonstrated in the peaceful and transparent conduct of the bye-election.
“The people of Jigawa have spoken, and their rejection of Badaru’s influence is a clarion call for accountability. The APC must act decisively to restore trust and secure its future, both in Jigawa and across Nigeria.”
Politics
Bye-Election: Stop Gov Lawal, Aides’ Assault on Zamfara’s Democracy – Group Tells INEC, Security Operatives
Bye-Election: Stop Gov Lawal, Aides’ Assault on Zamfara’s Democracy – Group Tells INEC, Security Operatives
The Coalition of Zamfara Patriots (CZP) has accused Governor Dauda Lawal of orchestrating a “tyrannical assault” on democracy during the recent Kaura-Namoda South Constituency bye-election, which was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a press statement, the group condemned Lawal’s alleged use of state-backed vigilantes and hired thugs to intimidate voters, describing his actions as a desperate bid to cling to power amid a failing tenure.
The bye-election, held on August 16, 2025, followed the death of Hon. Aminu Ibrahim Kasuwar Daji, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Hon. Kamilu Sa’idu Kasuwar Daji, securing 7,001 votes against the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 5,339.
The CZP hailed the result as a “resounding referendum” on Lawal’s leadership, which they branded as a “catastrophic tenure” marked by corruption, vindictive politics, and under-development.
The election was declared inconclusive due to irregularities in five polling units in Sakajiki and Kyambarawa wards, with a supplementary poll scheduled for August 21.
According to the CZP, Lawal’s administration resorted to thuggery and voter intimidation to manipulate the outcome, with reports circulating on social platforms about state-backed vigilantes terrorizing voters in the affected wards.
“This is not leadership—it is gangsterism,” the group declared in a statement signed by Comrade Yusuf Dayda accusing Lawal of treating Zamfara as his “personal fiefdom” through actions like the unlawful suspension of state assembly members and interference with the judiciary.
The coalition demanded that INEC declare the APC candidate the winner, arguing that the 1,662-vote margin clearly reflects the will of the people.
They warned against any attempts to use the supplementary election to distort the outcome, urging the electoral body to resist pressure from Lawal’s camp.
“The people of Kaura-Namoda South have rejected his oppressive rule, and he must accept defeat with dignity,” the statement read.
The CZP also called on security agencies, civil society, and the international community to closely monitor the August 21 supplementary election to ensure transparency.
They cautioned that any further attempts to undermine the electorate’s will could plunge Zamfara into chaos, emphasizing that the state’s citizens would resist any manipulation “with resolute resistance.”
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