AKURE, Nigeria – The All Progressives Congress, APC, has declared the Ondo State governorship primary election inconclusive due to logistical setbacks in Okitipupa Local Government Area.
Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State, chair of the primary election committee, announced that the rerun will occur across all 13 wards in Okitipupa by noon on Sunday, April 21, 2024.
Governor Ododo explained, “Having received reports of the primary election from the 203 wards in the 18 local governments of Ondo State, the committee has decided that the election will be conducted in all 13 Wards of Okitipupa local government with total validated registered members of 9,515, because of validated reports that the exercise did not hold in the local government due to late arrival of materials and personnel as a result of logistics challenges.”
The initial primary, contested by 16 governorship aspirants including the incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was fraught with disputes and allegations of fraud, leading to demands from several aspirants for cancellation of the exercise.
Prominent among the disgruntled were aspirants Wale Akinterinwa, Olusola Oke, Olugbenga Edema, and Dayo Faduyile, who accused the committee led by Ododo of failing to conduct a transparent election.
The aggrieved aspirants have called on the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to either remove Ododo from overseeing the primary or to cancel it entirely.
Olugbenga Edema, speaking on behalf of the group, expressed concerns that the committee’s actions could compromise the upcoming gubernatorial poll slated for November 16.
Edema claimed, “The committee refused to send materials meant for the primary to my Mahin Ward II in Ilaje Local Government, indicating that the exercise was being shielded to favor an unnamed aspirant.”
In his statement, Ododo countered the criticism by affirming the transparency of the process, citing reports and video footage from committee members, security agencies, and NGOs monitoring the election.
The Kogi governor also expressed confidence that the forthcoming rerun in Okitipupa would be conducted fairly and would aid in producing a candidate capable of unifying the APC ahead of the November gubernatorial election.
The situation remains tense as the party leadership works to address the concerns raised by the aspirants while ensuring that the rescheduled primary in Okitipupa proceeds without further issues.
