President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday differed with the Osun State chapter of the party on the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election won by Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress of Nigeria.
While Jonathan and the national leadership of the PDP conceded defeat to Aregbesola , the PDP in Osun rejected the election result.
The APC candidate who is the incumbent governor of the state polled 394,684 to defeat his PDP counterpart, Iyiola Omisore, who scored 292,750 in the final results announced by the Returning Officer, Prof. Bamitale Omole, on Sunday morning.
Jonathan, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, congratulated the winner and said the peaceful conduct of the election reaffirmed his administration’s determination to positively reform Nigeria’s electoral processes.
He added that the outcome of the election vindicated him from what he called unfair allegations that measures put in place by the Federal Government for the Ekiti and Osun state elections were designed to achieve favourable results for the PDP.
The President commended the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for ensuring that the election was free, fair, credible and peaceful.
Jonathan said as Aregbesola prepared to begin a second term in office, he looked forward to continuing to work with him and other state governors to further improve the living conditions of Nigerians in Osun and other states.
The statement read, “President Jonathan congratulates Governor Aregbesola of Osun State on his victory in Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
“The President commends INEC and national security agencies for ensuring that the election was free, fair, credible and peaceful in keeping with the avowed commitment of his administration.
“President Jonathan also applauds the people of Osun State who came out en masse to peacefully and freely exercise their democratic right, trusting in his assurance that all necessary measures had been taken to ensure their safety and the sanctity of their votes.
“The President believes that the free, fair and peaceful conduct of the elections have fully reaffirmed his administration’s determination to positively reform Nigeria’s electoral processes.
“The outcome of the election has also given the lie to the false, unfair and uncharitable allegations that measures put in place by the Federal Government for the Ekiti and Osun state elections were partisan and designed to achieve a favourable outcome for his party.
“He wishes Gov. Aregbesola continued good health and a successful second term in office.”
The national leadership of the PDP also congratulated Aregbesola and praised the security forces for keeping the peace during the election.
Besides, it commended Omisore for what it described as his impressive outing which it said confirmed that PDP still commanded massive followership in the state.
The congratulatory message was contained in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh.
Metuh had earlier issued a statement in which he merely asked PDP supporters in the state to remain calm.
In the second statement, Metuh explained that the PDP decided to congratulate the governor in the interest of peace and democracy.
He said, “After a careful appraisal of the overall conduct of the election, the national leadership of the PDP, in spite of perceived anomalies, hereby accepts the results and congratulates Governor Aregbesola for his re-election.
“This is entirely in the interest of the growth of democracy, peace and political stability of the country in line with PDP’s ideology and the visions of our founding fathers.”
Metuh said the PDP also commended Jonathan for “creating the enabling environment for Osun people to freely and peacefully exercise their franchise without rancor or blood-letting.”
While urging the APC to learn from the election and desist from actions and utterances that could create room for violence, Metuh called on Nigerians to mark the trends and make their deductions regarding which party was committed to the survival and growth of democracy in the country.
But in Osogbo, the PDP in Osun State faulted the process that produced Aregbesola, saying some of the figures published in the media were unacceptable to it.
The party said through its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bola Ajao, that it had earlier written a petition to INEC, complaining about the process in some units.
Ajao, who was also an agent of the PDP, said he refused to sign the election results form given to all agents at the INEC office in Osogbo.
He said, “I cannot sign. We cannot accept the outcome of the election. My principal, Iyiola Omisore, knows the next line of action. We will decide what to do. We had earlier written a petition to INEC to establish our complaints.”
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