Ajimobi beats Alao-Akala in Oyo

Senator Abiola Ajimobi Governor Elect

The governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, on Wednesday emerged the winner of the governorship election held in the state on Tuesday.
Ajimobi defeated Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Peoples Democratic Party and former Governor Rashidi Ladoja of the Accord Party to emerge the governor.
According to the result released by the state Returning Officer, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, the governor-elect polled a total of 420, 852 votes against Alao-Akala’s 387,132 votes and Ladoja’s 275,773 votes to emerge the winner of the contest.
He won in 17 out of the 33 local government areas in the state. Alao-Akala won in 12 while Ladoja won in four councils.
The governor-elect also secured a minimum of 25 per cent of total votes cast in 26 local governments of the state while Alao-Akala had 25 per cent in 22 local governments. Ladoja got same in 10 local governments.
Ajimobi had, in 2007, contested the governorship election on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party against Alao-Akala and lost.
Although he was believed by many to have won the election, he sought redress up to the Court of Appeal, the highest level allowed by law, but without success.

He later joined the ACN where he emerged the party’s governorship candidate.

Penultimate week, some leaders of thought in Ibadanland under the auspices of the Ibadan Elders’ Forum had endorsed him as the best among the three leading contenders.
Their endorsement drew the ire of Alao-Akala and Ladoja, who insisted that the elders could not impose their decision on the people of the state.
Ladoja had at different times rebuffed pleas by well-meaning individuals and groups for him to step down for Ajimobi.
With Alao-Akala’s defeat, the governor failed in his bid to break the jinx that no governor of the state had succeeded in securing second term in office.
There was however tension in some parts of the state as some supporters of the PDP-led by the state deputy governor, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, went on wild jubilation on major streets despite the party’s loss in the election.
Security was quickly beefed up in the state capital with various security agencies patrolling the streets in convoy.
For the House of Assembly election, ACN won 14 seats; PDP won 10 while AP won eight.
One of the major casualties of the election is the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Moroof Atilola, who lost his re-election bid.
Meanwhile, the ACN has been declared the winner of the rescheduled election into the Ibadan North West/ South West Federal Constituency held alongside the governorship and House of Assembly elections.
With the victory, ACN and the PDP have five seats each in the House of Representatives while AP has four.
By Olalekan Adetayo, Ibadan           Courtesy Of: Punch