The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Ekiti State governorship election held in July, Prof. Kolapo Oluwole Eleka has filed a petition of over 700 pages against the result.
Eleka, who is also the deputy governor to Ayode Fayose filed the petition on Friday at about 6pm at the tribunal in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
It was a move that signaled that the contest for the Ekiti State governorship seat may have only just begun.
His opponent on the platforn of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kayode Fayemi, has been declared winner of the exercise.
Eleka has always insisted that the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission( INEC) was not a reflection of the wishes of the Ekiti people. He insists he was robbed of electoral victory.
Eleka was accompanied by his counsel, Ola Olanipekun, who disclosed that the legal team is being led by another senior advocate, Yusuf Ali.
Eleka said: “I formally filed the much-expected petition against the results of the July 14, 2018 governorship election, which was openly manipulated by political desperadoes, using instruments of the federal government.
“Like I have maintained, I am challenging the election results not out of desperation to be governor, but for reasons of future and posterity, and largely on behalf of the people of Ekiti, who were taken aback by the outcome of the election.
“Without doubt, the will of the people was subverted by those who have chosen to take Nigeria back to the dark days of ballot stuffing, ballot boxes snatching and outright falsification of election results and I believe they deserve to get justice.
“As law abiding citizens of our country, the only path of honour to take in a situation like this is the process that we have initiated today, to seek redress against the use of security forces and other instruments of the federal government to suppress the will of our people.
“Sadly, the desperation of the APC to take over all states in the country, especially those under governors like Dr. Ayodele Fayose perceived as uncompromising has destroyed all the gains made by the PDP government regarding free, fair and credible elections.
“The mood of Ekiti people when the beneficiary of the electoral robbery was declared winner and up till today is a pointer to the resolve of the people not to accept the subversion of their will and we have answered their calls to use the judiciary to get back their mandate.
“In doing this, we have presented overwhelming discrepancies in the results declared by INEC to the tribunal to adjudicate upon and I am confident that the popular mandate of the people of Ekiti will not go unrestored.
“I therefore want Ekiti people to keep hope alive, remain strong and resolute in their belief in God.
“While we go through this judicial walk to exposing the electoral thievery of July 14, 2018, we urge the good people of Ekiti State, especially my teeming supporters to remain calm, peaceful and prayerful, bearing in mind that those who stole their mandate will not enjoy the benefits for long.”