ABUJA – Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State on Thursday urged INEC to declare the result of Saturday’s by-election to the Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
The governor who spoke to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, said that the by-election was concluded.
He said that INEC should conclude its job by declaring the result of the polls.
“As far as we were concerned, the election was concluded.
“The election was supposed to take place in 22 wards, but election took place in 21 wards,” he said.
Mimiko said that the election results were collated at the unit, local government and the federal constituency levels in line with the Electoral Act and the constitution.
He said that the requirement for winning election to a legislative house was majority of lawful vote cast.
“I, therefore, think in the interest of its integrity and in the interest of the 2015 that we are all looking forward to and its integrity, I think INEC should just announce this result,” he said.
The former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, also held a closed door meeting with the President at the Villa.
He told newsmen that the PDP was prepared to hold a grand reception for Jonathan on April 15 in the state.
Shekarau, who defected from APC to PDP, said that the president’s visit “is basically to celebrate our coming into PDP in the best way we can and also to reassure the Kano citizens that Kano is now fully a PDP environment”.
“It is going to be a very grand occasion because if anybody cares to know the political trend in Kano all along ANPP had been in charge.
“ANPP moved into APC and we had moved the whole of ANPP and largely APC into PDP now.
“So, it is going to be a great day for all of us and we are waiting for the reception and we are inviting all to come and share with us,” he said.
On why the visit was postponed for about three times, Shekarau explained that it was due to the president’s other engagements and certain activities in the state that coincided with the earlier scheduled dates.
“Our date was 15th February, but unfortunately that date coincided with the annual learning of Quadriyya Movement in Kano.
“We felt since we belong to the society and politics is about people, and we are part and parcel of the society, we cannot afford to merge our political rally with such huge religious celebration.
“So, we pleaded with the National Chairman of the party and the president to reschedule the date and since then of course, the rescheduling has been meeting other commitments of the president,” he said.
On the forthcoming local government elections in the state, Shekarau said that the party’s protest had been addressed by the state elctoral body. (NAN)
