In an unprecedented rare show of sportsmanship among Nigerian politicians, the Ekiti State Governor and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Sunday congratulated Mr. Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party for winning Saturday’s governorship election in the state, adding that it was the will of the people.
Fayemi had in a broadcast in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday said he had no choice but to accept the results of the June 21 election and congratulate the governor-elect “if indeed the outcome of the election is the will of the Ekiti people.”
The governor, who revealed that he had spoken with Fayose before the broadcast promised to see him later in the day.
“If indeed this is the will of the Ekiti People, I stand in deference to your will. If the result of the elections is an expression of the voice of our people, we must all heed your voice.
“I have just spoken with my brother, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, congratulating him on his victory. In a few hours from now, I would be meeting the governor-elect to discuss the future of our dear state and how we would work together to institute a smooth transition programme,” he said.
The governor, who admitted that the election was “ hard fought” appealed to the people of the state to see themselves as brothers.
“As expected, in the course of the campaigns, there were unsavory episodes as the candidates toured all the nooks and crannies of the state to sell ourselves to the people.
“Elections tend to be highly divisive affairs that often see a brother rising against his brother. Despite our diverse party affiliations, and regardless of which way we voted on Saturday, we must remember that we are all sons and daughters of Ekiti State. Ekiti is ours to build together,” he said.
Fayemi said the achievements of his government would be a reference point in setting governance standard in the state.
“On our part, over the course of the campaigns, we presented our scorecards before the people of Ekiti State. We never at any point took your support for granted. We campaigned, we canvassed and we traversed the nooks and crannies of this state.
“Our performance and achievements in office will remain the backdrop against which the next government and indeed future governments will be assessed. We are proud that with the support of Ekiti people, we have raised the bar of excellence in governance. In all, we gave our best, for conscience and for posterity.
“Indeed a new sociology of the Ekiti people may have evolved. However, the task of understanding how the outcome of this election has defined us as a people will be that of scholars. For us as an administration and a cadre of political leaders in Ekiti State, we have fought a good fight, we have kept faith,” he stated.
Fayemi thanked his campiagn team, supporters and the people for their “exemplary courage and doggedness in the face of harassment” by coming out to vote in spite of the high security presence.
He said, “To members of our party, our campaign team and indeed all Ekiti people who defied the siege to our state to cast their votes for our party, I salute your exemplary courage and doggedness in the face of harassment.
“Thank you for staying the course. The incidences of brazen harassment, intimidation and allied infractions on fundamental human rights, which many of you suffered in the hands of agents of the state, would be documented and communicated to the appropriate authorities for the records.”
