Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure, Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member who served as an Ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Saturday’s House of Assembly election in Ondo State, Ibrahim Okanlawon, has died in a boat mishap.
Okanlawon, who, until his death served in the state, died at Agadagba-Obon in Ese-Odo Local Government Area, on Saturday.
Sources said he died while returning from his polling centre where he had served as a presiding officer.
It was learnt that the speed boat he boarded was returning from Arogbo Ward 2 and capsized at the river bank, in Agadagba-Obon.
Two other corps members, who sustained injuries, are reortedly receiving treatment at a private hospital in the area.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 23, out of the 26 seats, in Ondo House of Assembly.
Also, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won in two constituencies, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) won in one constituency.
According to the results released by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Rufus Akeju, ZLP won in Ondo West State Constituency, while the PDP won in Ese-Odo and Ilaje and the APC cleared other constituencies.
Although the election was marred by violence in some areas, especially Oba Akoko, in Akoko South West Local Government Area, the exercise was peaceful in all the polling centres in Ondo South and Ondo Central senatorial districts.
Already, the state government had declared curfew in Oba Akoko, as a result of the violence which characterised the poll in the community.
Meanwhile, INEC has finally declared the PDP senatorial candidate, Nicholas Tofowomo, as the winner of Ondo South senatorial election.
Tofowomo was declared winner of the election after scoring 81,892 votes to defeat his closest rival who is the incumbent Senator representing the area, Yele Omogunwa, of the ruling APC, who polled 55,610 votes.
The result was announced by INEC Returning Officer for the district, Prof. Kayode Onifade, after the senatorial supplementary election held on Saturday was concluded.
The INEC had penultimate Saturday declared the Ondo South senatorial election inconclusive, based on the margin of win by the candidate of the PDP, which was less than 28,300 of the total number of registered voters in the affected units where elections did not hold or were cancelled.
Similarly, the APC in Ekiti State has cleared 25, out of the 26 seats in the House of Assembly.
INEC, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer in the state, Taiwo Gbadegeshin, yesterday, however, said election is yet to be concluded in Ekiti East Constituency 1; due to disruptions that engulfed four of the polling units during the exercise.
The polling units are Aya Alaafe Street, Teledalase PU 003, the late Oloda’s frontage PU 006, Baba Egbe’s house PU 008 and Beside Baba Egbe’s house PU 009.
Gbadegeshin, while appreciating the cooperation of stakeholders in ensuring peaceful conduct of the election, also commended the people of the state for their peaceful conduct during the election.