Four out of the 16 aspirants vying for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket have raised concerns about the ongoing primary election and demanded its cancellation.
Wale Akinterinwa, Olusola Oke, Olugbenga Edema, and Dayo Faduyile accused the seven-man committee overseeing the primary, led by Kogi Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, of fraudulent practices.
The aggrieved aspirants called on the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to either remove Ododo or cancel the ongoing exercise.
Speaking to journalists in Akure, Olugbenga Edema, representing the group, alleged discrepancies in the distribution of election materials, particularly in his “Mahin Ward II” in Ilaje local government.
“Unfortunately, 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,” Edema said.
Akinterinwa echoed Edema’s concerns and demanded the immediate replacement of Ododo overseeing the primary exercise.
His words: “For APC to bring Ododo to Ondo State is a low to our party and state, and our position is that no primary election has taken place, no election material has left here, and we are saying that the leadership of the party should do the needful by sending another neutral person, just like they did in Edo State to come and conduct another primary election where the good people of Ondo State will freely exercise their franchise to pick their candidate.
“If the leadership of the party failed to do the needful, then there is a way we will react and we are going to react accordingly. If any result is announced, we are telling the leadership of the party, including President Bola Tinubu, that no election took place in Ondo State, and no materials were distributed for us to pick our preferred candidate.”
Similarly, Olusola Oke stated that he did not receive materials for the primary in the state’s south and north senatorial districts.
In response, Ododo acknowledged the complaints raised by the aggrieved aspirants and assured that the committee would address them accordingly.
