Ondo Commissioner, APC Women Leader, Lead Protest Against Alteration Of Candidates Lists For Nat. Assembly

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo state commissioner for women affairs, Seun Osamaye, All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader, Princess Oluwayemisi Iji-Ayeola, and  youth leader, Ojo Bright on Monday led protest over alteration of lists of candidates for the national Assembly election in Ondo state due for next year.

The protest, championed by the women’s wing of the APC in Ondo State blocked the busy Ilesha-Owo Expressway, protesting the National Assembly candidates’ list released by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Dressed in white attire, the women prevented the free flow of traffic for some hours.

The protest also caused a traffic gridlock that temporarily delayed the convoy of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was returning from Osogbo, Osun State.

Armed with different placards, the women said they would not accept the imposition of candidates on the party by the NWC.

Some of the placards read ” We Reject Abuja List”, “We Stand by Ondo State Congress Results“, ” We Say No to Imposition” and “Ondo State on Fire”

They demanded the withdrawal of the list and the reinstatement of what they described as the authentic candidates who emerged from the party’s May primaries.

The demonstrators accused the party leadership of replacing candidates who won the primaries, alleging that the list released by the NWC did not reflect the outcome of the ward and local government elections conducted across the state’s 203 wards.

The APC had given return tickets to seven out of nine members of the House of Representatives and two serving senators in the state, prompting the protest.

Addressing the protesters, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, APC Women Leader, Princess Oluwayemisi Iji-Ayeola, and Ojo Bright, said the APC primaries held in various constituencies in the state, were peaceful and the results from those primaries must be upheld by the leadership of the party.

Osamaye maintained  that the women who are members of the APC, rejected the names released by the NWC of the party despite the outcome of the primaries, which were known to all the citizens of the state.

”We have come out to express our displeasure with the fake list being circulated. We consider it fake because it does not reflect the mandate of the people.

“It does not reflect the votes counted across the 203 wards of Ondo State. We know those we voted for.

“We know those we counted that won the elections. So why does the list being circulated online not reflect the people’s mandate?

“That is the question we have come to ask this afternoon. It is a peaceful protest. We say no to the mago-mago appeal. We say no to fake appeal.

“We say no to corner-corner appeal. People’s votes should count. We voted massively for our candidates, and it should reflect in the list that has been pasted. But what we are seeing online does not reflect what we voted for, and that is why we have come today.”

Among those affected are, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (SAN) replaced Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti as the APC candidate for Ondo Central Senatorial District, while Senator Olajide Ipinsagba emerged in place of Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye for Ondo North Senatorial District. The Ondo South Senatorial ticket was unaffected by the review with Hon. Kekemeke as candidate.

In the House of Representatives, Donald  Ojogo replaced Mr. Akingboye Leke for Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency, while Hon. Festus Olarewaju Akingbaso displaced Hon. Rasaq Obe in Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency among others.