Several governorship aspirants from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have expressed their lack of confidence in the primary election overseen by Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State.
The primary election, which aims to select the party’s candidate for the upcoming governorship election on November 16, is taking place across the 203 wards in the state.
During a press conference held in Akure while the election was ongoing, the aspirants criticized Ododo for not adhering to the due process outlined by the national leadership of the party.
Gbenga Edema, one of the aspirants, expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay in the distribution of electoral materials for the primary.
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He stated that as of 10:00 am, the materials had not been released, contrary to the resolution made during a stakeholders’ meeting the previous day.
Edema and other aspirants had arrived at the venue before 7:00 am, as instructed by the committee’s secretary, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, who had assured them that the materials would be distributed at the BON Hotel in Akure.
The plan was for accreditation to begin between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, followed by voting from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
However, the aspirants were surprised to hear that the election had already concluded and the results announced. When they sought clarification from the chairman, he was unable to provide satisfactory answers.
Another aspirant, Sola Ajisafe, who represented Wale Akinterinwa, claimed that no election had taken place in the state.
He received calls from his supporters informing him that no materials had been distributed in their respective wards.
Ajisafe accused Governor Ododo of colluding with others to undermine the people of the state and limit their ability to choose their preferred leader.
He demanded that the election be rescheduled to ensure fairness and transparency.
The aspirants emphasized that they could not be manipulated by political godfathers and called on the national leadership of the party to intervene and ensure that the right procedures were followed.
