Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has been re-elected for a second term in office in the governorship election held on Saturday.
He won in 11 local government areas out of the 20 in the state, including Peoples Democratic Party’s strongholds in Sagamu, Remo North and Ikenne and Ogun Waterside.
His main opponent, Gboyega Isiaka of the PDP, who won in nine local government areas, has, however, alleged that the election was rigged.
Isiaka said the APC rigged in Ogun Central Local Government of Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Odeda, Obafemi-Owode as well as Ado-Odo/Ota in Ogun West Senatorial District.
But the Director-General, Senator Ibikunle Amosun Campaign Organisation, Bode Mustapha, debunked the allegation saying that it only showed that the PDP candidate was “living in the dream world.”
Isiaka alleged that the rigging was carried out in concert with the state branch of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The PDP candidate, who spoke through his director of media and publicity, Ifekayode Akinbode, noted that the huge votes recorded by Amosun in the said places were a true reflection of rigging.
He said, “Let us quickly state emphatically that we are displeased with the outcome of the governorship election particularly.
“It is clearly not a true reflection of Ogun people’s wish and it will be challenged as appropriate.”
Amosun said Isiaka must be hallucinating for making such allegation against him.
He said he (Isiaka) should be questioned for declaring himself the winner even when election was still going on.
Mustapha, who spoke for Amosun, said, “We got information that the PDP wanted to rig the election but they were not successful. There are 4,010 polling booths in Ogun State and results were still being collated across different polling booths with some of them very far away then. Where did he (Isiaka) get his results from?”
Isiaka said his legal team which was already looking into the irregularities and the results, would come up with a clear position on the election soon.
He further alleged that Amosun was moving around with a retinue of aides while election was in progress, perfecting the rigging plan.
He said, “Senator Amosun defied the electoral law and moved out of his polling zone into other areas of Abeokuta and then to Sagamu, Ota and Ifo local government areas with a full retinue of buses.
“What followed were reports of snatching of ballot boxes and stuffing of same in these locations.”
Also, in a reaction, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Timothy Ibitoye, said there was no way Isiaka’s allegation could be true.
“Were you in the collation centre? If you were, then how is it possible for any irregularity to take place? Results were collated and announced publicly, and we have all seen the result,” he said.
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