APC, PDP differ over polls’ outcome in Southwest zone

The Southwest zone of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed different positions on the outcome of the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections just as they also shared contrary views on how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) handled the Saturday Mach 9 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections in the zone.

While APC argues that it convincingly won 72.14 per cent of various executive and legislative positions it nominated candidates for during the just concluded elections, PDP said the ruling party used federal might to bulldoze its way to victory in most parts of region. PDP also accused INEC, security agents and other government institutions of dancing to the lyrics of the Federal Government throughout the exercise.

For the two gubernatorial elections it won, APC congratulated Lagos State Governor-elect, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Ogun State counterpart, Mr. Dapo Abiodun as well as their deputies, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedele respectively.

APC’s National Vice Chairman for the zone, Mr. Bankole Oluwajana, said the analysis of the results indeed reaffirmed the Southwest as the nerve centre of progressive politics in the country.

He cited the roles of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the party’s National Leader, Bola Tinubu, former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi under whose supervision the party cleared almost all elective positions in his state and his Ondo State counterpart, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, Chief Bisi Akanda, and Otunba Niyi Adebayo among others.

According to Oluwajana, “APC won 66.66 per cent of the governorship race; 77.78 per cent of the senatorial election; 71.83 per cent of the House of Representatives contest, and 72.28 percent of the State House of Assembly constituencies in the Southwest.

Even though we lost governorship election in Oyo State, we convincingly won two states where governorship election held in the geo-political zone, 51 seats in the House of Representatives election out of 71 while we cleared 14 seats in the senatorial contest out of 18 seats.”

Giving the breakdown according to states, Oluwajana said, “APC won four seats in Ondo, six in Osun, nine in Oyo, six in Ogun, 20 in Lagos and all six seats in Ekiti State. Also, in the senatorial contest, we won one seat in Ondo, three in Ekiti, two in Osun, two in Oyo, three in Ogun and three in Lagos, which affirmed APC’s political dominance of the geo-political zone.”

For the State House of Assembly race, Oluwajana said his party won the entire 16 constituencies in Ekiti, 22 out of 26 seats, which is 84.61 per cent in Ondo, 15 out of 26 seats (57.69 per cent) in Ogun, five out of 32 seats (15.62 per cent) in Oyo, 22 out of 26 seats (84.61 per cent) in Osun and the entire 40 seats in Lagos State.

Meanwhile, PDP National Vice Chairman for the zone, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, dismissed Oluwajana’s claim, saying the elections conducted by INEC in Southwest were a ready made script of the ruling party.

According to him, “The electoral umpire colluded with APC to doctor the governorship elections, especially in Lagos, where our supporters were completely gagged in our strongholds. This is the worse election so far conducted by INEC and history would bear it in record.”