Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had an excellent candidate in Prof. Kolapo Olusola, in the Ekiti governorship election which held last Saturday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has, however announced Dr. Kayode Fayemi, of the All Progressive Congress, as governor-elect.
In a statement, yesterday, Atiku urged “all PDP supporters in Ekiti state to remain peaceful and orderly and cooperate with the party at the state and national levels as they determine the next steps.
Read also: PDP rejects Ekiti governorship election result
“We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with them through these difficult times,” Atiku said.
In a related development, former Lagos governor and APC national stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has congratulated Dr. Fayemi, over his victory at the poll.
In a statement entititled “Ekiti election: A victory for the people,” personally signed by him, Asiwaju Tinubu said the people of the state voted to take a path different from the one on which they had been.
“In Ekiti, a chapter has closed and a new one has begun. This was not done by contrivance or artifice, nor was it the product of intimidation or improper influence. This came about because it was the will of the people of Ekiti, as expressed and manifested in the conduct of a free and fair election in that state…Dr. Fayemi must keep in remembrance that the people have placed their future in his safekeeping and he must justify their trust in him by doing all he can do to advance their welfare.
“I know Dr. Fayemi will establish an all-inclusive government that involves all stakeholders in his administration and in the governance of the state.
“I make no bones that I am glad that Dr. Fayemi and the APC won this contest. However, I would be remiss if I did not say a good word about the PDP candidate, Prof. Olusola Kolapo Eleka. He conducted a tough and energetic campaign.
“He wanted this seat but, in the end, he did not resort to violence to get his way. He allowed the people to make their own decision and for his adherence to this democratic principle, he should be recognised.
Meanwhile, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, has urged members of the party in Ekiti and their supporters across the country to remain calm over the outcome of the governorship poll.
Secondus insisted the INEC result will not stand.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ike Abonyi, yesterday, he thanked Nigerians, especially those who stood by the party during the electioneering campaigns for the Ekiti poll. According to him, the opposition party all along knew that rescuing the country from “anti-democratic forces will not be an easy task.
“What I want to assure Nigerians and other lovers of democracy and rule of law is that PDP and its partners are undaunted and will not look back until this country is rescued from the hands of bad rulers.
“I want to thank, in particular, the new coalition for the rescue of Nigeria, the CUPP, for their support and determination to free Nigeria from the hands of APC misrule.
“The signs are there, in the spirit and physical world, that God has decided to rescue Nigeria and the journey has since begun. What we need is patience and steadfastness,” he stated.