Almost eight years after unceremoniously removed from office by then president and leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose has launched a stunning comeback, successfully reclaiming the seat via the ballot box.

True to his boast, Fayose, who flew the PDP flag in yesterday’s ballot, beat the incumbent, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to bounce back to glory and erase sad memories of his removal after the declaration of emergency rule in his state to scuttle his four-year mandate in 2006.

News Express had last night reported that Fayose, who was governor of Ekiti State from May 29, 2003 to October 16, 2006, was heading for victory and this was confirmed early this morning by the official result announced by the Returning Officer, Prof. Isaac Azuzu.

Announcing the result in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti, Prof. Azuzu, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, declared Fayose winner of the election in which 18 candidates contested.

He said that Fayose scored a total of 203,090, claiming a landslide victory over Governor Fayemi, who won only 120433 votes. “We have come to the grand finale of this exercise. Accord-268, AA-146, AA-146, APC-120,433, AD-843, CPP-967, LP 18,125‎, KOWA-222, CPP-967, PDP-203,09‎0, MPPP-137, NCP-322, PDC-921, PPA-1,050, SDP-65, UDP-67,” Prof. Azuzu announced.

The declaration immediately sparked celebrations by the Fayose camp but sadness and complaints by the Fayemi camp, which wasted no time in rejecting the result.

EKITI STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION RESULT AT A GLANCE

LGA APC LP PDP

Efon 3,422 358 5,335

Oye 10,176 512 11,200

Ilejemeje 3,336 165 3,670

Ikere 7,989 585 16,197

Ikole 8,804 1,259 14,238

Ekiti S/W 6,746 1,413 11,038

Ijero 9,348 1,554 13,814

Ifelodun 6,834 3,555 13,038

Emure 4,332 1,527 7,086

Ekiti-East 8,584 884 12,498

Moba 7,994 1,000 8,878

Gbonyin 8,138 714 11,046

Ise 5,809 600 10,136

Ekiti-West 7,860 884 10,702

Ido-Osi 7,134 1,182 13,045

Ado-Ekiti 13,927 2,065 41,169

Total: 120,433 18,125 203,09‎0

•Photo shows Fayose voting in yesterday’s Ekiti State Governorship Election which he won.

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