Former Ambassador Dare Bejide Clinches ADC Governorship Ticket in Ekiti
Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Canada, Dare Bejide, has emerged victorious in the African Democratic Party (ADC) governorship primary election in Ekiti State, securing 15,466 votes in a competitive race against four other contestants.
The election results, announced by Senator Patricia Akwashiki, who chaired the ADC Governorship Primaries Election Committee, showed former Deputy Governor Prof. Olusola Eleka finishing second with 12,003 votes. Other candidates included Femi Adegbite with 9,141 votes, Emmanuel Fayose with 2,865 votes, and Ayodele Adesua who received 135 votes.
In a significant development during the electoral process, the committee excluded results from three local government areas – Emure, Ilejemeje, and Oye – citing irregularities. Despite this challenge, Senator Akwashiki characterized the overall primary election as peaceful, commending the substantial turnout of party members across the state’s 16 local governments.
The election was not without incident, as political thugs attempted to disrupt the collation process at a hotel in Ado-Ekiti, demanding the cancellation of results from certain local government areas. The committee chair strongly condemned these disruptions and urged affected parties to channel their grievances through the designated Appeal Committee.
Bejide, who previously served as Secretary to the State Government during Engineer Segun Oni’s administration, will now represent the ADC in the upcoming governorship election. The party leadership has expressed commitment to resolving any disputes arising from the primary election through appropriate channels.
The Independent Electoral Commission, security agencies, and media representatives were acknowledged for their role in facilitating the electoral process, with both the committee and party leadership pledging to work with stakeholders to address any outstanding concerns.
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