Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo South Senatorial District has conceded defeat and congratulated his opponent, Kola Balogun.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr Bolaji Tunji, quoted the governor as saying that the people of the state have shown their love for the APC by voting massively for President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC candidates in the elections.
Ajimobi said, “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 the APC in Oyo State. It has also shown that our people are appreciative of the developmental strides of the 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 added: “The results of the Oyo South Senatorial District election have been released by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, indicating that I lost to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 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, Hon Kola Balogun and our APC Senators-elect, 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 the 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, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and all our candidates for the House of Assembly.”