2020 Ondo State gubernatorial election

The 2020 Ondo State gubernatorial election was held on 10 October 2020. Incumbent APC governor Rotimi Akeredolu won re-election for a second term, defeating PDP Eyitayo Jegede, ZLP Agboola Ajayi and several minor party candidates.

2020 Ondo State gubernatorial election
10 October 2020
Turnout31.6% Decrease1.85pp
 
Nominee Rotimi Akeredolu Eyitayo Jegede Agboola Ajayi
Party APC PDP ZLP
Running mate Lucky Ayedatiwa Gboluga Ikengboju Gboye Adegbenro
Popular vote 292,830 195,791 69,127
Percentage 51.1% 34.2% 12.1%

LGA results
Akeredolu:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      80–90%
Jegede:      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election

Rotimi Akeredolu
APC

Elected Governor

Rotimi Akeredolu
APC

Rotimi Akeredolu was the APC candidate.[1] He picked Lucky Ayedatiwa as his running mate.[2]

Eyitayo Jegede was the PDP candidate with Gboluga Ikengboju as his running mate.[3][4] Agboola Ajayi was the ZLP candidate with Gboye Adegbenro as his running mate.[5][6][7][8] Adedapo Benjamin Adelegan stood in for ADC in the polls, while Dotun Ojon represented YPP.[9] 17 candidates contested in the election, all were male, while 2 of the deputy governorship candidates were female.[10]

Electoral system

The Governor of Ondo State is elected using the plurality voting system.

Primary election

APC primary

The APC primary election was held on July 20, 2020. Rotimi Akeredolu, the incumbent governor won the primary election polling 2,725 votes against 7 other candidates. His closest rival was Olusola Oke, a former governorship aspirant in the state who came a distant second with 262 votes, while Isaac Kekemeke, came third with 19 votes.[11][1]

Candidates

  • Party nominee: Rotimi Akeredolu: Incumbent governor.
  • Running mate: Lucky Ayedatiwa.
  • Olusola Oke: Former governorship aspirant. Lost in the primary election.
  • lsaac Kekemeke: Lost in the primary election.
  • Jumoke Anifowose: Lost in the primary election.
  • Olayide Adelami: Lost in the primary election.
  • Sola Iji: Lost in the primary election.
  • Awodeyi Akinsehinwa: Lost in the primary election.
  • Bukola Adetula: Lost in the primary election.

PDP primary

The PDP primary election was held on July 22, 2020. Eyitayo Jegede won the primary election polling 888 votes against 7 other candidates. His closest rival was Agboola Ajayi, deputy governor in the state who came second with 675 votes, while Eddy Olafeso, a former vice chairman of the party in the state came a distant third with 175 votes.[12][3]

Candidates

  • Party nominee: Eyitayo Jegede.
  • Running mate: Gboluga Ikengboju.
  • Agboola Ajayi: Deputy governor. Lost in the primary election.
  • Eddy Olafeso: Former vice chairman of the party in the state. Lost in the primary election.
  • Bode Ayorinde: Former member of the House of Representatives. Lost in the primary election.
  • Banji Okunomo: Lost in the primary election.
  • Sola Ebiseni: Former commissioner. Lost in the primary election.
  • Godday Erewa: Lost in the primary election.
  • Boluwaji Kunlere: Lost in the primary election.

Results

A total of 17 candidates registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission to contest in the election.[9] APC Governor Rotimi Akeredolu won re-election for a second term, defeating PDP Eyitayo Jegede, ZLP Agboola Ajayi and several minor party candidates. Akeredolu received 51.1% of the votes, Jegede received 34.2%, while Ajayi received 12.1%.[13]

The total number of registered voters in the state was 1,812,634 while 595,213 voters were accredited. Total number of votes cast was 591,193, while number of valid votes was 572,745. Rejected votes were 18,448.[13]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Rotimi AkeredoluAll Progressives Congress292,83051.13
Eyitayo JegedePeople's Democratic Party195,79134.18
Agboola AjayiZenith Labour Party69,12712.07
Martin Kunle Olateru-OlagbegiAction Democratic Party3,4640.60
Fasua Peter OyeleyeSocial Democratic Party3,0530.53
Adelegan Adedapo OluwaseyiAfrican Democratic Congress2,4400.43
Okunade TaiwoLabour Party1,9770.35
Adeleye Adekunle PeterAfrican Action Congress8140.14
Babatunde Francis AlliPeople's Redemption Party6690.12
Adesanya OlaoluwaAction Peoples Party5270.09
Funmilayo Jenyo AtaunokoNational Rescue Movement4680.08
Ojon DotunYoung Progressives Party3980.07
Aminu Akeem OlarenwajuAllied Peoples Movement3090.05
Rotimi Adeleye AkindejoyeAccord2920.05
Olowoloba DeleAll Progressives Grand Alliance2710.05
Ojajuni Joseph EniolaNew Nigeria Peoples Party2220.04
Joshua Oluwafemi AdewoleAction Alliance930.02
Total572,745100.00
Valid votes572,74596.88
Invalid/blank votes18,4483.12
Total votes591,193100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,812,63432.62
Source: INEC, INEC

By local government area

Here are the results of the election by local government area for the two major parties. The total valid votes of 572,745 represents the 17 political parties that participated in the election. Blue represents LGAs won by Akeredolu. Green represents LGAs won by Jegede.[14][15]

County Rotimi Akeredolu

APC

Eyitayo Jegede

PDP

Total Votes
# % # % #
Ifedore 9,350 44% 11,852 56% 21,202
Ile Oluji/Okeigbo 13,278 59% 9,231 41% 22,509
Irele 12,643 69.7% 5,493 30.3% 18,136
Akoko North-East 16,572 66.4% 8,380 33.6% 24,952
Akoko South-East 21,232 58.5% 15,055 41.5% 36,287
Akoko North-West 15,809 60.5% 10,320 39.5% 26,129
Ondo East 6,485 61.6% 4,049 38.4% 10,534
Akure North 9,546 43.8% 12,263 56.2% 21,809
Owo 35,957 87.1% 5,311 12.9% 41,268
Idanre 11,286 60.1% 7,499 39.9% 18,785
Akoko South-East 9,419 70.2% 4,003 29.8% 13,422
Akure South 17,277 26.6% 47,627 73.4% 64,904
Ose 15,122 64.2% 8,421 35.8% 23,543
Okitipupa 19,266 65% 10,367 35% 29,633
Ondo West 15,977 60.1% 10,627 39.9% 26,604
Odigbo 23,571 71.3% 9,485 28.7% 33,056
Ilaje 26,657 70.5% 11,128 29.5% 37,785
Ese Odo 13,383 74.1% 4,680 25.9% 18,063
Totals 292,830 51.1% 195,791 34.2% 572,745

Aftermath

Later in October, Jegede officially challenged the results at the Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal based on four alleged issues: irregularities in the results, violence, intimidation of voters, and improper holding of the APC primary. This challenge was filed as Akeredolu had already set up a 25-member inaugural committee headed by Deputy Governor-elect Lucky Aiyedatiwa.[16] The Tribunal held first its proceedings on the case on November 4[17] and its inaugural sitting on December 8, which was met with considerable violence between APC and PDP supporters outside the High Court Complex.[18] After Akeredolu was sworn-in for a second term in office on February 24, 2021,[19] the Tribunal reached an April 20 verdict in favor of Akeredolu by dismissing Jegede’s petition for lack of merit.[20]

After the verdict, Akeredolu told Jegede to join him in uniting Ondo and to avoid further litigation,[21] however, the Ondo State PDP said it would appeal the tribunal's decision.[22] The PDP appeal to the Court of Appeal in Akure failed as well with the court's Justice Theresa Orji-Abadua-led five-member panel dismissing their case.[23] however, the Ondo State PDP said it would appeal the tribunal's decision.[24] Nonetheless, the Ondo PDP immediately announced that they would appeal to the Supreme Court while Akeredolu once again called for Jegede to avoid litigation to unite the state and claimed that Jegede will lose at the Supreme Court as well.[25]

On July 28, 2021, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court upheld the decisions of the Court of Appeal and Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal in a 4-3 decision. The majority opinion stated that while Jegede may have been correct in that Mai Mala Buni was not legitimately the national APC Caretaker Chairman and thus could not nominate Akeredolu, since Jegede failed to name Buni in the appeal, it must be dismissed. The dissenting opinion held that since the APC itself was named in the case, the appeal could have been heard.[26][27][28] After the ruling, Jegede finally conceded while Akeredolu praised the judiciary and his legal team.[29][30] The parties reacted similarly, with the APC commending the decision while the PDP stated its respect for the judiciary but claimed that the reason for the decision effectively vindicated their case.[31]

References

  1. Johnson, Dayo (July 20, 2020). "Akeredolu emerges APC governorship candidate, records landslide victory". Vanguard Newspaper. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  2. Adejumo, Kabir (July 29, 2020). "Ondo 2020: Akeredolu announces running mate". Premium Times. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  3. Johnson, Dayo (July 23, 2020). "Eyitayo Jegede emerges Ondo PDP governorship candidate, defeats deputy governor, Ajayi". Vanguard Newspaper. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  4. Adejumo, Kabir (August 17, 2020). "Ondo 2020: PDP's Eyitayo Jegede picks federal lawmaker as running mate". Premium Times. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  5. Abdul, Babajide (August 14, 2020). "Third force emerges in Ondo as Akeredolu's Deputy, Ajayi declares for ZLP". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  6. Adejumo, Kabir (August 17, 2020). "Ondo 2020: Deputy Governor Ajayi picks Mimiko's ally as running mate". Premium Times. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  7. Oluwole, Josiah (August 16, 2020). "Ondo 2020: Why I surrendered governorship ticket to Agboola Ajayi – ZLP candidate". Premium Times. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  8. Adejumo, Kabir (August 10, 2020). "Ondo 2020: ZLP clears Ondo Deputy Governor Ajayi". Premium Times. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  9. Adejumo, Kabir (October 9, 2020). "Profiles: Know the candidates for Ondo 2020 election". Premium Times. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  10. "PROVISIONAL LIST OF CANDIDATES 2020 Governorship Election - Ondo State" (PDF). inecnigeria.org. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  11. Adejumo, Kabir (July 20, 2020). "Ondo 2020: APC governorship primary commences". Premium Times. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  12. Adejumo, Kabir (July 22, 2020). "Ondo 2020: Deputy governor, seven others battle for PDP ticket". Premium Times. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  13. "Declaration of Result to the Office of the Governor, Ondo State". Twitter. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  14. "Final Collation Of Ondo Governorship Election Results". Channels TV. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  15. Akinola, Ajibola (October 11, 2020). "Akeredolu Defeats Jegede Again, Re-Elected As Governor". Channels TV. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  16. Dada, Peter. "Akeredolu's aide mocks Jegede as PDP candidate heads for tribunal". The Punch. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  17. Dada, Peter. "Tribunal grants substituted service on Akeredolu". The Punch. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  18. Dada, Peter. "Many injured as APC, PDP supporters clash at tribunal in Ondo". The Punch. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  19. "Governor Akeredolu of Ondo has just been sworn-in for a 2nd term in office". Pulse Nigeria. February 24, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  20. Dada, Peter. "Ondo poll: Tribunal strikes out Jegede's petition against Akeredolu". The Punch. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  21. Dada, Peter. "Shun litigation, Akeredolu tells Jegede after tribunal victory". The Punch. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  22. Dada, Peter. "PDP plans appeal as Ondo tribunal declares Akeredolu poll winner". The Punch. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  23. Dada, Peter. "Shun litigation, Akeredolu tells Jegede after tribunal victory". The Punch. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  24. Dada, Peter. "Appeal Court dismisses Jegede's case against Akeredolu's victory". The Punch. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  25. Dada, Peter. "Ondo poll: I'll defeat Jegede in Supreme Court, says Akeredolu". The Punch. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  26. Nwisagbo, Lesi. "Supreme Court dismisses Jegede's appeal against Akeredolu". The Punch. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  27. Nnochiri, Ikechukwu. "[UPDATED]Ondo Gov Poll: In split judgment, S'Court affirms Akeredolu's victory". Vanguard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  28. "UPDATED: Supreme Court upholds Akeredolu's victory". Premium Times. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  29. Dada, Peter. "Ondo: Jegede congratulates Akeredolu on Supreme Court victory". The Punch. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  30. Dada, Peter. "Supreme Court: Let's work for the upliftment of Ondo, Akeredolu tells Jegede". The Punch. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  31. Baiyewu, Leke. "APC, PDP differ on Akeredolu's Supreme Court victory over Jegede". The Punch. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
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