Kogi State Governor and chairman of the Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election committee has commended stakeholders and members of the party in Ondo state for their orderly conduct and massive turnout during the direct primary election in the state.
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 election in different parts of the 18 local government areas in the state.
Governor Ododo said, “I have received reports from our committee members and security agencies as well as NGOs monitoring the election including video footages 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 materials in some wards and local government areas, Governor Ododo said he was certain that the delay has no adverse effect on the conduct of the primary election.
According to Ismaila Isah, his Special Adviser on Media in a statement on Saturday, April 20, Ododo 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 is 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 candidate of the party in the November, 2024 Governorship election in Ondo State.
But some of the aspirants have kicked against the primary which from all indications, placed Governor Lucky Aiyeditiwa as the aspirant to emerge winner of the APC governorship ticket for Ondo.
The Daily Crucible reports that a total of 171,922 accredited members of the party were billed to vote in the direct primary election exercise in 203 Wards of the 18 local government areas of the State.
However, the primary election was characterised by violence in some locations even as some aspirants alleged that voting did not take place in most of the 203 Wards.
Speaking with reporters at BON Hotel in Akure, the state capital on Saturday, the aggrieved aspirants called for the cancellation of the governorship primary election over alleged fraud perpetrated by the Electoral Committee.
The aspirants asked the national leadership of the party to, as a matter of urgency, remove the chairman of the Electoral Committee, noting that they no longer trust in his ability to conduct a free and fair election following the controversy surrounding the exercise.
The protesting aspirants 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
