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Adeniyi Olajide,
the Action Congress of Nigeria’s candidate in the by-election conducted
on Wednesday into Moba Constituency 1 in Moba Local Government Area of
Ekiti State has been declared the winner of the election.

Mr Olajide
contested against the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Gboye
Afilaka in an election which to an extent suffered apathy by voters.

The election
suffered a low turn out of voters, contrary to the expectations of
politicians in the area, and also considering the level of high
political status that had joined the party’s political train for the
coveted seat of the state house of assembly.

The seat became
vacant following the death of the former Deputy Speaker of the State
House of Assembly, Saliu Adeoti of Action Congress of Nigeria on Oct.
27.

The vacant
Legislative seat which was contested by the majorly ACN, PDP and the
Labour Party (LP), the leading three parties in the state commenced at
about 8.30 in the morning was held in five wards of the constituency
comprising 49 polling units.

The security
operatives however ensured a heavy presence by a team jointly
co-coordinated by the state Commissioner of Police, Olayinka Balogun
and the state Director of the State Security Service (SSS), though some
reports of ballot snatching were also reported.

The state chairman
of People’s Democratic Party, Bola Olu-Ojo said in an interview that
the election was rigged and should not be honoured by the INEC,

“you can see for
yourself and I am sure that some of you still have it on the tape. If
INEC should go ahead with this, then we have started seeing what will
happen in 2011.

Monitoring the
election, a member of PDP and the Minister of State, Caleb Olubolade
and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Isiyaku Maigoro,
confirmed few hitches but claimed that there were efforts to rectify
them.

Although there was
a case of alleged snatching of a ballot box at Osan-Ekiti by some
alleged political thugs, the election was generally peaceful.

Ajayi Emmanuel, one
of the Presiding Officers, who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria, said
that the election at his unit was peaceful and commended the security
personnel for their efforts in checkmating political thugs.

Mr Maigoro also
expressed satisfaction with the conduct, stating that apart from
Osan-Ekiti where a ballot box was snatched, the election is generally
peaceful as at noon.

“Since it is still
on and we are still monitoring the exercise, I cannot conclude on the
conduct now until the completion of the exercise,” he said.

Mr Olubolade
however told the media that “our people should see the need to abide by
the presidential directive for a free and fair election. It is only a
free and fair election that can give Nigeria credibility in the comity
of nations.

“It is unfortunate
that some state government officials are using government vehicles to
perpetrate this dastardly act,” he said.

The minister
disclosed that the Commissioner of Police and the Director of SSS had
already visited the unit and started investigations.

However, the former
Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni and the People’s Democratic Party in
a press statement issued after the election faulted the by-election,
calling it a disgrace to INEC and Nigeria as a country.

“”From what has
happened today, this country is indeed in trouble. People who go about
sermonising on one-man, one-vote were the ones who invaded Moba with
thugs, snatched ballot boxes and unleashed terror on the people.

This shameful!

“If Jega is serious
about free and fair election in 2011, he ought to have used this
election in just 49 polling units to show Nigerians that. He should
have even supervised it directly so that he can learn from it but he
has allowed the whole thing to be messed up,” Mr Oni said.

Meanwhile, Mr Maigoro, has vowed to prosecute any of his workers who by any means breaks the law during the by-election.