Aiyedatiwa Is It; Clinches Ondo APC Governorship Ticket; Losers Threaten Litigation

By Ayodele Oni

It is not yet over for the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress APC in Ondo state as defeated aspirants threaten litigation over the outcome.

Amidst protests by supporters of the aspirants, the Governor Usman Ododo led APC Primary Election Committee had declared Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa the winner of last Saturday’s governorship primary election.

The primary was conducted in the 203 wards in 18 local government area of the state.

Declaring the result at the Dome International Event Centre, Alagbaka Akure, Governor Ododo said Aiyedatiwa won in 16 out of 18 local government areas.

Ododo, while announcing Aiyedatiwa as winner, said he scored 48,569 votes to beat other 15 aspirants.

He said the other aspirants score is as follows: Wale Akinterinwa; 1,952, Olusola Oke; 14,915, Mayowa Akinfolarin; 15,343, Jimoh Ibrahim; 9,456, Isaac Kekemeke; 1,045, Gbenga Edema; 395, Olamide Ohunyeye; 424, Jimi Odimayo; 490, Olusoji Ehinlanwo; 492, Morayo Lebi; 290, Diran Iyantan; 348, Francis Faduyile; 353, Ifeoluwa Oyedele; 462, Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo; 529 and Funke Omogoroye; 115.

While Ododo said that the total numbers of voters; 171, 922, accredited voters; 95178, total vote cast; 95178, valid votes; 95178, invalid vote; nil.

According to Ododo, who was flanked by the secretary of the committee, Ovie Omo-Agege and other members of the committee said; “reports from the field revealed that the primary election went on peacefully, and the end of the exercise, votes were counted and recorded.

“By the power conferred on the committee, and in line with APC guide lines for the nomination of the candidate, of the party in the general election, I Ahmed Usman Ododo, Governor of Kogi State and the Chairman of the Committee and the Returning Officer of the Ondo State APC governorship primary election, held on the 20th, 2024, hereby declared that Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest numbers of votes cast in the direct primary election, is hereby return elected and declare winner.”

Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola who is the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), led INEC officials to observe the collation and declaration.