The APC ward primary in Ondo State has concluded with Lucky Aiyedatiwa emerging as the winner and the party’s candidate for the upcoming governorship election.
Aiyedatiwa secured a total of 48,569 votes during the primaries, surpassing Mayowa Akinfolarin who received 15,343 votes and Olusola Oke who came in third with 14,865 votes.
The announcement of Aiyedatiwa’s victory was made by the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, in the early hours of Monday.
Ododo highlighted that the electoral process was conducted smoothly with minimal disruptions. The direct mode of primary election was utilized across all 203 electoral wards in the 18 LGAs of Ondo state.
Aiyedatiwa secured victories in 16 out of the 18 LGAs, with Oke claiming the third position in Ilaje LGA.
The election in Ifedore was marred by incidents of violence, resulting in the cancellation of the election results.
During the primary held on Saturday, many contestants alleged that the elections did not take place at all. Folakemi Omogoroye, a female aspirant, described the process as a “complete rape on democracy” and called for the cancellation of the election.
She expressed her disappointment at the absence of election officials and voting materials at the voting centers, which prevented her supporters from exercising their right to vote.
Omogoroye threatened legal action if her demand for a fresh and transparent election was not met. In addition, disgruntled party members protested in Akure, demanding the annulment of the exercise and the removal of Ododo as the committee’s chair.
They alleged irregularities in the conduct of the ward primaries across the state and urged the national secretariat of the party to prevent a crisis in the state.
The protesters claimed that no ward primaries were held and that the guidelines given by the national secretariat were not followed, as the committee did not distribute materials to any wards.
The party members warned of potential consequences if an unpopular candidate is imposed on them, as it could negatively impact the party’s chances in the governorship election.
