Lagos — From The Ekiti State government yesterday said the tenure of Governor Segun Oni started May 6, 2009 when he took the oath of office for the second time.

The state made its position known following pronouncements by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that governorship election will take place in January next year in all but four states of the federation. The states are: Rivers, Edo, Ondo and Anambra.

Wale Ojo-Lanre, the Chief Press Secretary to the Ekiti state governor said: "It is like a game of football, you don't change the goalpost during a match."

Oni however said that he was not afraid of standing for elections anytime provided the Constitution is followed, adding that laws are not known to take retroactive effect."

"Governor Segun Oni was sworn-in on May 29, 2007 based on the results of the April 14, 2007 governorship election. When the election was nullified by the Court of Appeal, Ilorin on February 17, 2009, the governor left office and, another person took over as acting governor," he stated.

"The acting governor was in office for 79 days before Governor Oni was sworn into office again based on the results declared by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) on May 5, 2009.

"If it is now being said that the tenure of office of all the governors that won rerun elections should be counted from May 29, 2007, what is going to happen to the period spent in office by the acting governors in those states? Who is going to account for that period?"