The Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, has rejected the outcome of the Osun State Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship primaries held on Saturday.
Ogunbiyi said this on Sunday during a news conference in his hometown, Ileogbo in Osun State.
He vowed to use the internal mechanism of the party to reclaim the “stolen mandate” from Senator Ademola Adeleke.
Adeleke, representing the Osun West Senatorial District, was announced as the winner of the primaries by the Electoral Panel headed by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State with 1,569 votes, against Ogunbiyi’s 1,562.
The panel had initially announced that Ogunbiyi scored 1,559 votes, but his agents insisted that the ballot must be recounted, which then led to the discovery that he had 1,562 votes.
A request that Adeleke’s votes be recounted was however turned down.
Ogunbiyi told newsmen on Sunday: “I assure you all that the mandate, which was freely given to me by majority of the delegates, will be reclaimed by the special grace of God.
“The outcome of that primary has been a subject of concern to a great majority of our party members who have been disappointed, disillusioned and confused by the conduct of the exercise and the results as declared by the panel led by His Excellency, Governor Seriake Dickson.
“Some of the major issues which compromised the integrity of the exercise and made the results clearly unacceptable include the non-adherence to the clear provisions of the Electoral Guidelines and unfortunate manipulation of the accreditation, voting, sorting and counting of the votes cast by delegates at the primaries.
“Consequent upon these infractions, therefore, the votes attributed to me at the end of the voting exercise were much lower than what I actually scored as valid votes.
“I have, therefore, resolved to use the internal mechanism of the party to seek an immediate redress of this clear case of injustice which is contrary to the spirit of transparency and justice being propagated by the new leadership of our party led by the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.
“While this process is on, I wish to use this opportunity to thank leaders and members of our party who stood by me before, during and after the primary.”
