PDP sweeps LG polls in Ondo, APC kicks

Peter Dada, Akure

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission has announced the results of the chairmanship and councillorship polls held on Saturday in the 18 local government areas of the state.

In the results announced, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party won all the chairmanship positions in the 18 local government councils of the state just as it won 202 councillorship seats in the 203 wards of the state.

The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria won only one councillorship seat.

Announcing the results of the polls on Sunday at the headquarters of the commission in Akure, the Chairman of ODIEC, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, said only 14 political parties contested the election and that the ruling party won all the chairmanship positions of the 18 local government councils.

He said, “The overall results of the polls indicate that the PDP won in all the 18 local government areas.”

Commending all stakeholders for the support given to the commission during the polls, the ODIEC chairman explained that the election was hitch-free, adding that there was no record of violence or electoral malpractice during the election.

“We promised the people of Ondo State that free and fair polls would be conducted and to the glory of God, we have been able to do our best,” Ige said.

He also announced that the winners of the polls would be issued Certificates of Return at the ODIEC headquarters on Monday (today).

Meanwhile, the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress, has described last Saturday’s election as a mere selection process, alleging that the winners of the election had been selected beforehand.

It will be recalled that the APC did not participate in the election, following an allegation of bias levelled against the chairman and the members of the commission by the opposition party.

In a statement issued by its Ondo State Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Steve Otaloro, the APC alleged that the PDP rigged the polls to create an impression that there was an impressive turnout of voters.