As the collation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election results in Ondo State begun, incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is coasting to victory amid protests from other aspirants.
Aiyedatiwa, who contested Saturday’s APC governorship primary election alongside 15 other aspirants, is in early lead as results continued to trickle in from polling units across the state on Saturday evening.
Although, the seven-man Electoral Committee of the party led by Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State was yet to formally announce the winner of the exercise, LEADERSHIP gathered that the panel may eventually announce the governor as a winner based on the reality on ground.
To retain his seat, the incumbent governor is seeking the ticket of the APC alongside 15 other aspirants, which include Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Jimi Odimayo, Jimoh Ibrahim, and the APC National Vice Chairman (South-West), Isaac Kekemeke.
Others are Wale Akinterinwa, Olugbenga Edema, Chief Olusola Oke (SAN), Olamide Ohunyeye, Morayo Lebi, Oladiran Iyantan, Prof. Francis Faduyile, Mayowa Akinfolarin, and Ifeoluwa Oyedele, as well as two female aspirants, Funmilayo Adekojo and Funke Omogoroye.
LEADERSHIP reports that a total of 171,922 accredited members of the party were expected to vote in the direct primary election exercise scheduled to hold in 203 Wards of the 18 local government areas of the State.
However, the governorship primary election held on Saturday was characterised by violence in some locations even as some aspirants alleged that voting did not take place in most of the 203 Wards.
Addressing journalists at BON Hotel in Akure, the state capital earlier on Saturday, the aggrieved aspirants called for the cancellation of the governorship primary election over alleged fraud perpetrated by the Electoral Committee led by Governor Ododo of Kogi State.
The aspirants, who also asked the national leadership of the party to, as a matter of urgency, remove the chairman of the Electoral Committee, noted that they no longer trust in his ability to conduct a free and fair election following the controversy surrounding the exercise.
Led by Barrister Gbenga Edema, the aspirants faulted the exercise and warned that the development, if not handled well, might affect the outcome of the shadow election and the November 2024 governorship election.
However, the chairman of the Electoral Committee, Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State, commended stakeholders and members of the party in Ondo State for their orderly conduct and massive turnout during the direct primary election.
Governor Ododo gave the commendation while receiving reports from members of the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee, security agencies and other stakeholders, who monitored the conduct of the primary election in different parts of the 18 local government areas of the state.
According to Governor Ododo, “I have received reports from our committee members and security agencies as well as NGOs monitoring the election including video footage and I can say that the process has been transparent and we are going to produce a candidate that will unify the APC ahead of the November 2024 governorship election in the state.”
Responding to questions over delay in arrival of electoral materials in some wards and local government areas, Governor Ododo said he was certain that the delay had no adverse effect on the conduct of the primary election.
The Kogi State governor also expressed confidence that concerns noticed in the revalidated membership list would not have any major impact on the outcome of the primary election, stressing that the committee was well guided by the APC guidelines for the nomination of candidates for general elections and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
Governor Ododo called on the aspirants and their supporters to see the primary election as a contest among brothers and sisters in one family seeking to make the family better as a candidate of the party in the November, 2024 governorship election in Ondo State.
(Leadership)