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Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, of Ondo State has asked the state Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, to probe the former Secretary to the State Government, Ifedayo Abegunde, over claims that the 2016 governorship election was rigged in his favour.
The former Ondo State SSG, Ifedayo Abegunde, claimed that the 2016 election was won by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, and not Akeredolu.
Abegunde gave the shocking revelation shortly after his resignation on July 6, 2020. He said the poll was manipulated by bigwigs of the APC, including himself, just for Akeredolu to win at all cost.
The Governor issued a petition through Mr. Femi Emmanuel Emodamori, a lawyer in the state. The petition reads;
According to the official result of the governorship election published by INEC, APC and its candidate, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu polled 224, 842 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the election, Eyitayo Jegede, polled 150, 380 votes.
The Alliance for Democracy and its candidate in the election, Chief Olusola Oke, came third, with total votes of 126,889.
Our clients emphatically state that the much-publicised allegation of manipulation of the 2016 Ondo State election by Sunday Ifedayo Abegunde is diametrically spurious, false, reckless, senseless, and criminal.
It was made to scandalise our clients, particularly the governor, three and half years after the undisputed election, and after Sunday Ifedayo Abegunde parted ways with the current government of Ondo State.
You would agree with us that electoral integrity is a severe and sensitive issue in Nigeria. For any person to fraudulently procure the return of any other person to an elective office, whether directly or indirectly, is a criminal offence punishable with twelve (12) months imprisonment, under section 124(1) (a) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).
We have the instruction of our clients to call on your office to set all the necessary machinery in motion.
This is necessary to unravel the truth or falsehood in the allegation(s) of Sunday Ifedayo Abegunde, by conducting a thorough investigation into the allegation in this petition.”
Governor Akeredolu in reply to the statement has asked security agencies to probe the allegations of the former SSG, adding that the allegation was false, reckless, senseless, and criminal.
