Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has conceded defeat to an opposition candidate he lost to in a senatorial election.
The election was held in the nine local government areas in Oyo South Senatorial District. The election was won by a former Commissioner for Commerce and Cooperatives, Mr Kola Balogun, of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Ajimobi while reacting in a statement made on Monday by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr Bolaji Tunji, expressed appreciation to the people of the state for their peaceful conduct and large turnout during the elections.
The governor while accepting the result of the election, congratulated the winner, Balogun.
He said that the people of the state have shown their love for APC by voting massively for President Muhammadu Buhari and some APC candidates who won in the elections.
“We appreciate our people for coming out last Saturday, which led to APC winning two, out of the three senatorial and nine out of the 14 federal constituency seats in the state.
“The victory has shown the unassailable leadership of APC in Oyo State. It has also shown that our people are appreciative of the developmental strides of APC in the state and the country at large. We have taken Oyo State to an unprecedented level in terms of massive infrastructural renewal. Most importantly, we have ensured peace in the state.”
The governor described the loss of Oyo South senatorial ticket seat as unfortunate but noted that no sacrifice was too much for a leader to make. He enjoined all APC members to gird their loins for the March 9 governorship election, stressing that battle was not over yet.
Ajimobi emphasised that the loss of Oyo South senatorial seat would not deter him from his firm resolve and that of APC to work hard for the party’s victory in the governorship election.
He said, “The results of Oyo South Senatorial District election have been released by INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) indicating that I lost to PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) candidate.
“I hereby accept the result as announced. Although there were a number of grievous infractions and established electoral malpractices, I have decided to let go in the interest of peace. I, therefore, congratulate the declared winner, Mr Kola Balogun and our APC Senators-elect, Messers Abdulfatai Buhari and Teslim Folarin.
“If I lose the ticket and the party was able to gain, then it is nothing to feel sad about. APC has done well but we can always do better. If we won two out of the three Senatorial seats and we picked nine out of 14 federal constituency seats, then we should congratulate ourselves.”
“To the teeming members and supporters of our party who came out in their thousands to show their preference for APC, I thank and urge you to keep the faith especially as we look forward to the governorship and the House of Assembly elections.
“With the impressive results we currently have, we should proudly go forth with greater sense of confidence and unity of purpose. Let us work together to ensure victory for our governorship candidate, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, and all our candidates for the House of Assembly”.
PT
