Nigeria Content Online

The Ekiti State governor, Segun Oni, affirmed that his party
will achieve success in any election in the state whenever the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) is ready to conduct a poll in the state.

Speaking on his political future, following INEC ruling out the
state for the gubernatorial elections next year, the governor said that “even
when the Independent National Electoral Commission has no say as to whether
governorship election will hold in Ekiti State 2011 or not, we in the Peoples
Democratic Party are prepared for elections anytime, any day.”

INEC’s chairperson had listed Ekiti amongst the states that will
have their gubernatorial elections in 2011, even though re-run elections held
mid-way into the incumbent governors’ regimes. Other states affected are
Baylesa, Cross River, Sokoto and Adamawa.

Mr Oni, who addressed a crowd of supporters at the party’s
secretariat along Ikere Road in Ado-Ekiti upon his arrival from a foreign trip,
said that either way, he would be contesting the governorship election on the
platform of the PDP anytime the court says the election should hold. “People
have been phoning and sending messages, asking what the difference is between
2011 and 2013. I want to assure everybody here that the issue of whether
governorship election will hold in Ekiti in 2011 or not is a constitutional
matter, which can only be determined by the Supreme Court.

INEC has no say

“We have capable lawyers, who are already working on the matter.
On this issue, INEC cannot have any position at all. It is preposterous for
INEC to take any decision on it. INEC is also a party to the outcome of
whatever the Supreme Court says on it. INEC should, therefore, not play to the
gallery.

“I only urge the courts to act expeditiously on the matter so
that it can be put to rest soonest. But whichever way it goes, whether INEC is
holding governorship elections in 2011 or 2013, we in the PDP are ready and I
can say it categorically here that I will contest and honestly, I am not new to
contests.

“In 2006, I came in just two weeks to the primaries and despite
the manipulations here and there, I came third before God came with His own
verdict. If just two weeks to the delegate contest then, I had 978 votes; the
person who came first had 1,200 while the second position had 1,028 votes, I
don’t think anyone in his right senses would believe that he can defeat a
sitting governor to get his party ticket,” Oni said.

Calling on PDP members to mobilise the people for the coming voters
registration exercise, Mr Oni said, “All indigenes of the state, who are of
voting age must register and it is our duty to mobilise our people, both at
home and outside the state to take part in the exercise.”