Ondo APC Gov Primary Election: Collation Of Results Ongoing As Aspirants Say No Election Took Place

By Ayodele Oni

Results of the Saturday’s governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state are trickling to collation centre in Akure just as four governorship aspirants are insisting that there was no election in their area.

With the results tilting in favour of incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the four aspirants called for the cancellation of the  governorship primary election.

They accused the Governor Ahmed Ododo led committee of giving room for fraud to favour Aiyedatiwa.

On their arrival in Akure earlier members of the committee, while addressing some of the aspirants said the task of the committee was to return one of them as a candidate of the party.

Addressing newsmen after arriving Ondo state

Ovie Omo-Agege said, “We are here as part of a seven member primary election committee headed by his Excellency, governor of Kogi state, Hamed Ododo and I am the secretary of the committee and other members here with me.

“The directive given to us was clear. Go to ondo state and conduct a free and fair primary and return to us a flagbearer.”

Report across the 203 Wards indicate that violence and absence of voting materials in some centers, were the order of the day.

The aspirants, who also asked the national leadership of the party to, as a matter of urgency, remove the chairman of Electoral Committee, noted that they no longer trust in his ability to conduct a free and fair election following the current controversy trailing the exercise.

Addressing journalists, the aggrieved aspirants, led by Gbenga Edema, faulted the exercise and warned that the development if not handled well might affect the outcome of the shadow election and the November governorship election.

At the stakeholders meeting held at St. Thomas event centre, the secretary of that committee, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege said the collection of voting materials which include the membership registers, and others will be distributed to the electoral officers whose names he announced to us in each of the 203 wards of Ondo State.

“That they should come to BON Hotel to collect the materials and that accreditation will start by 10am, to be completed by 1pm while voting proper will start by 1pm and end by 2pm, then the announcement of the results.

“As I am talking to you now, we’ve been here since 6am, believing that our people will collect the materials, but unfortunately, His Excellency Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, came out to tell us that materials had been distributed. At what time? In what places? We don’t know!

“Unfortunately, for him, the returning officers and electoral officers of my ward, Mahin Ward II in Ilaje local government are here and unable to collect any material.

“What we are asking for is a credible election. So, we are asking the leadership of the party to look into this. If they’re not ready for this election, they should postpone it and the right thing should be done.”