By Oluwaseyi Fadoro
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State on Wednesday officially declared Feb. 23 Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency election inconclusive, and fixed April 27 for the supplementary poll.
Professor Olusoji Ilori, the INEC Returning Officer for the federal constituency declared the election inconclusive at a stakeholders meeting organised by INEC at the commission’s office located in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Secretariat.
He said the results of the election could not be declared after the polls due to the violence that marred the process.
Ilori, an academic from the University of Lagos, who reeled out the scores of each political party said that Mrs Rita Orji, candidate of PDP polled 31, 982 votes while the runner up, Mr Kolawole Taiwo of the APC scored 28, 758 votes.
The returning officer said that the total number of registered supplement ray voters for the constituency was 379, 676, valid votes, 63, 049, rejected votes, 2855, while the total votes cast was 65, 904.
He further said that the difference between PDP and APC was 3224.
Ilori said that the supplementary election became necessary following the margin of victory between the leading candidate of PDP and the runner up from APC.
The returning officer said that the total registered voters for the affected 71 polling units across eight wards in the constituency, where cancellation occurred remained 43, 660.
Announcing the date of the supplementary poll, Mr Afred Akpojotor, the INEC Electoral Officer for the council said that the supplementary poll would hold on April 27 in the affected areas.
According to Akpojotor, the affected areas include, Awodi Ora, Wilmer, Ilori Apapa, Ojo Road, Mosafejo, Temidire 2 among others.
“I have been directed by my Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to announce that the commission has fixed Saturday April 27 for the supplementary election in all those affected polling units,” he said.
He said that the results of the supplementary elections would be added to the already collated results for the winner to emerge.
In his reaction, Mr Charles Ejimadu, the Director General of the Hon. Rita Orji Campaign Organisation described the process as “unfortunate” saying that the results for 67 out of 71 affected polling units were available.
“In this 71 polling units that INEC is claiming that there were issues, I put it to you, it is a lie.We have 67 of those results. It is under our custody and when the time comes, we shall bring out our facts.
“Of course, we won in the major election, rerun will not be an issue, but we are saying there shouldn’t have been any need for the rerun because we have a clear valid win from our own collation that we have.
‘When the time comes, we will bring out the fact for the whole world to know that INEC, as it is now, has no credibility,” Ejimadu said.
Also speaking, Mr Fatai Ajidagba, an APC chieftain and the Executive Chairman, Ifelodun Local Council Development Area told newsmen that APC would prepare adequately for the supplementary poll and that the party would emerge victorious.