By Samuel Sunday
A former senator and aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary in Ekiti State, Senator Ayo Arise has rejected the outcome of the election, alleging widespread irregularities, intimidation, and falsification of results.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the APC chieftain said the result announced by party officials did not reflect the will of party members. He claimed that figures collated from polling units across the district showed he won the contest.
The former lawmaker questioned the credibility of the declared result and said his opponent, identified as Cyril, lacked the political strength to defeat him in a free and fair election. He alleged that the process was compromised from the outset and stated that he used drones and video surveillance to monitor activities during the primary.
According to him, all incidents recorded during the exercise have been documented and preserved as evidence of alleged malpractice. He said authentic results from areas where voting took place showed he secured 8,687 votes, representing 41 per cent of the total votes cast, while his rival polled 7,725 votes.
Arise further alleged that results announced in some wards exceeded the number of registered party members, describing the process as fraudulent and inconsistent with democratic principles. He also accused some electoral officials of abandoning voting centres after seeing large numbers of party members queuing to vote for him.
He said his protest was not driven by a desire for office but by a commitment to protect democratic values and public confidence in the electoral process.
“The whole essence of governance is to provide an enabling environment for people to prosper,” he said, stressing the need for accountability and practices that strengthen democracy.
Reflecting on his career outside politics, the former senator highlighted his contributions to Nigeria’s financial technology sector. He said he pioneered some of the country’s earliest electronic card payment systems and facilitated partnerships with Mastercard and Visa to establish a third-party payment processing platform in sub-Saharan Africa.
He also said he supported government financial reforms through the development of a revenue monitoring portal designed to block leakages in public finances.
The APC stalwart reaffirmed his loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling party, noting that he voluntarily returned to the APC more than a decade ago. He alleged that some individuals falsely claimed to be acting on behalf of the President in asking him to withdraw from the race, and said he would only honour such a request if it came directly from the President.
He further alleged that some supporters and members of his technical team were assaulted during the primary. He claimed one of his drone operators was attacked and detained, while several supporters were intimidated in different wards.
The aspirant said video recordings, photographs, and election records in his possession contain evidence of intimidation, result manipulation, and other irregularities in some communities.
Although he rejected the outcome, he ruled out seeking judicial redress, noting that party primaries are largely internal affairs. He warned, however, that the conduct of the exercise could have political consequences for the APC if concerns raised by aggrieved members are not addressed.
He called for reforms in the party’s electoral process, including the adoption of secret ballot voting during primaries. He said open voting and excessive involvement of government officials could erode confidence in democracy and deepen divisions within the ruling party.
