The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Sunday declared Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele of the All Progressives Congress, APC as the winner of Saturday election in Ekiti Central Senatorial District of Ekiti State.
Bamidele, who is the chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters was declared the winner of the election by the INEC Returning Officer for Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Prof. J. Sola Omotola at the State Collation Centre in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
According to a statement issued by the Bamidele’s media office, the victory has made him to be the first Senator in Ekiti Central to be re-elected back to National Assembly since 1999.
He polled 69,351 to defeat his close rival, Lateef Oladimeji Ajijola of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who polled 26,181 votes
Speaking at his victory thanksgiving service held at the Babamuboni Memorial Anglican Church, Iyin-Ekiti with his wife, family members, friends and political associates on Sunday, Bamidele thanked God for his landslide victory in the election.
The lawmaker also appreciated the people of the district for giving him yet another privilege and democratic mandate to represent them in the National Assembly as well as the church for the continued prayers and support while seeking for more prayers for the tasks and journey ahead.
He said: “My main purpose of coming here today is to give thanks to Almighty God for His amazing grace over my life and family and for the success of yesterday’s National Assembly and Presidential Election. I also thank God for making me to win the election in a landslide manner.
“I appreciate all our people in Ekiti Central Senatorial District and the Church of God. I am indebted to the Church leadership for their continued prayers and support.
“We also came to seek spiritual blessings and benediction for the tasks ahead of us.”
In his remarks, the Vicar of the church, Venerable Oluwasola Olusegun Adekola noted that the victory of Senator Bamidele in the senatorial election is well-deserved based on his track records of performance in his previous positions of public duty, especially in the 9th Senate where he brought several dividends of democracy to his people.
He, therefore, prayed for more grace, God’s protection and wisdom, divine strength and enablement for the lawmaker to enable him perform more excellently in his second tenure in the Senate.