- The PDP candidate said he had received reports of delays in the commencement of voting in parts of the state.
- Ajayi said it took almost 10 minutes before he could cast his vote after battling with accreditation, describing it as an attempt to frustrate voters.
Agboola Ajayi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ondo, has expressed doubts about the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ability to conduct a fair election.
Ajayi made these comments on Saturday after casting his ballot at his polling unit in Ese-Odo LGA.
The former deputy governor criticized INEC’s slow pace, suggesting it was a deliberate attempt to manipulate the election results.
“The system is not perfect, things are not working,” Ajayi told reporters. “A lot of complaints here and there… INEC cannot organise elections in just one state.”
In a previous interview, Ajayi alleged that Oluwatoyin Babalola, the state’s resident electoral commissioner (REC), had met with Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor, and the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I think it’s deliberate on the part of INEC and the part of the REC,” he said. “We can’t trust you. The system is compromised, people are complaining about vote buying, BVAs are not working. It’s very shameful.
“I think Nigerians should call on the chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. If he cannot do the job, he should just resign. This is embarrassing.
“This is sad and Nigerians are not happy.”
Ajayi also criticized the presence of armed military officers, stating that their proximity to the polling units “intimidated voters.”
Ajayi, who served as deputy governor from 2017 to 2021, is competing against Aiyedatiwa and 15 other candidates.
He expressed confidence in his ability to win the election “convincingly.”
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