A foreign observer group, the International Police Chaplain Sustainable Development and Law Enforcement Inc. (IPCSL), said that the results of the Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State, reflected the will of the people.
Mr Oscar David the group’s spokesperson and Director of Administration and Organisation for the African Regional Command, stated this while presenting the findings in Akure.
He described the election as peaceful, transparent, credible and successful, with minimal incidents or complaints from party agents.
Thefrontrank reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) as the winner after winning all the 18 local government areas in the state.
Declaring the result, the State Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, said APC’s Ayedatiwa polled 366,781 votes to defeat Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 117,845 votes.
David, however, called on candidates and political actors to seek legal redress for any disputes, stressing the importance of maintaining peace and preventing any breakdown of law and order.
Said he: “The IPCSL mission commends the people of Ondo State for their conduct and cooperation with our team members across the local government areas, political parties, and stakeholders, which created an enabling environment for a successful election.
“This reflects patriotism and a commitment to democratic culture.
“The mission asserts, without fear of contradiction, that the final results declared by INEC truly reflect the records of the ballot boxes at polling units. IPCSL commends the collaboration between international and domestic observers and encourages continued improvements to Nigeria’s electoral processes.”
David stressed the need for continued efforts to preserve national peace and stability, urging all parties to support democracy and the rule of law amid Nigeria’s challenging socio-political context.
While commending INEC for its efforts, the group’s spokesperson noted the improvements in staff training and handling of election equipment, as well as the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), “which functioned well except for isolated issues.”
He lauded the professionalism of security agencies during the election.
“Unlike previous elections, the military presence was limited to border areas and flashpoints, while the police and civil defense corps provided effective security at polling units and streets,” he said.
According to him, IPCSL deployed 50 directors and collaborated with 20 domestic observer organizations, mobilizing 200 officials across the state’s 18 local government areas.
