The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has announced the results of 16 of the 18 local governments from the municipal elections held in the state last Saturday.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has cleared the presidency and councilor position in the soon-to-be announced 16 local governments.
Announcing the election results, the Chairman of ODIEC, Dr. Joseph Aremo, said the commission canceled the results of Owo and Ondo West Local Government Areas and rescheduled them, citing the incorrect logo of one of the parties. on the voting ballots.
Aremo said the Owo and Ondo West results, which were canceled and rescheduled for Sunday, due to incorrect logo of one of the parties on the ballots, would be announced later.
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Candidates of the New Nigerian People's Party (NNPP) have attacked the logo on the ballot papers and have threatened to go to court to challenge the complete omission of the party logo on the ballot papers used for the elections.
The NNPP presidential candidate in Ondo West local government, Adebayo Olumide Oluwemimo, said the party logo could not be found on the ballot paper, but claimed that the ODIEC used the old logo.
Adebayo said: “Our party candidates, members and their supporters are at their various polling units to vote this morning because we are sure of winning but only to get there and realize that our logo has been omitted and we cannot vote for the wrong logo. “
He threatened to take legal action if the elections are not canceled and the ODIEC error in its logo is corrected.
Recall that 12 political parties participated in the council election for the positions of president, vice-president and councilors in the 18 council areas of the state.
However, the main opposition party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), withdrew from the elections less than 72 hours before the election, citing doubts about the ability and integrity of the state electoral umpire to conduct a free election, fair and credible.
Meanwhile, speaking on the withdrawal of the main opposition party, the People's Democratic Party, from the weekend council elections, the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, described the PDP's decision to withdraw “as an act of cowardice”.
Aiyedatiwa said, “They participated in the entire process, the state electoral body published the election schedule, I don't know the reason.
“Maybe the fear of losing, each election has its own logistics and other political parties are participating whatever the reason that made them withdraw, I am not aware of that.
But the PDP in the state had stated in a statement through its Director of Media and Publicity, Leye Igbabo, that “the decision is a product of various levels of consultations by party leaders, stakeholders and the National Secretariat of our great match.
“Therefore, we have resolved to withdraw our participation in this exercise to defend the integrity of our party and our unwavering belief in credible electoral practices.”
Newslodge