Some governorship aspirants on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state, have kicked against the ongoing governorship primary exercise in the state, alleging that the process is fraught with irregularities.
Four of the aspirants who kicked against the process include, Gbenga Edema, Wale Akinterinwa, Olusola Oke and Dayo Faduyile alleged the APC Primaries Election Committee headed by Governor Usman Ododo of holding the exercise outside the stipulated time given by the party.
The aggrieved aspirants alleged that the accreditation for the exercise was fixed for 10 am but that election materials are still not distributed to various senatorial districts as of 10 am.
While expressing his grievance, one of the aspirants, Gbenga Edema, told the Chairman of the Committee, Governor Ododo, that most of the wards are awaiting the election materials across the three senatorial districts
But Ododo informed that the materials had been sent to two of the senatorial districts early in the morning but said the only senatorial district, (central senatorial district) had been dispatched.
However, while speaking with journalists, Edema said: “Yesterday, at the stakeholders meeting held at St Thomas event centre, the secretary of that committee, Senator Ovie Omo-agege collection of voting materials which include the membership register, and others will be distributed to the electoral officers whose name he announced to us in each of the 203 wards of Ondo State.
“That they should come to BON Hotel to collect the materials and that accreditation will start by 10 am, to be completed by 1 PM while voting proper will start by 1 PM and end by 2 pm, then the announcement of result.
“As I am talking to you now, this is 10:40 am. We’ve been here since 6 am, believing that our people will collect the materials but unfortunately, at about10:10am, His Excellency, Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo came out to tell us that materials have been distributed. At what time? In what places? We don’t know.
“Unfortunately, for him, the returning officers and electoral officer of my ward, Mahin ward II in Ilaje local government are here and unable to collect any materials.
“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.”
Speaking on behalf of Wale Akinterinwa, the Director of the Programme of Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organization, Mr. Sola Ajisafe, also said; “for APC to bring Ododo to Ondo state is a low to our party and state, and position is that no primary election has taken place, no election materials has left here.
“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 results 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.”
Speaking on behalf of Olusola Oke, Rotimi Williams Ogunleye, who described the exercise as a sham said; “we got here around 6:30 am, we don’t know when and where the election materials were sent out from this place to Ondo South and North senatorial districts, the truth of the matter is that there was no materials sent out.
“Why can’t they follow the due process, the national leadership of the party should call Ododo to order, they should follow the guidelines they released.”
He said “Every day we toil to build this party, we spend our resources, no matter how little it may be. Everybody matters at this party, and if anybody says we don’t matter and a few cliques of people can sit down in the cosy comfort of their room and write results, that will be too bad. We also have the right to protest and react.
“Maybe the national chairman should equally be called to order in this regard and inform him that those he sent to Ondo State are not acting according to the guidelines of the party. What we are saying is that they must follow the guidelines they have released.”
Our correspondent who monitored the election around noted that some wards have declared the results of the election as early as 11am, while some alleged that they were chased out by some political hoodlums.
At Ward 4, 7 and 9 in the Akure South local government area of the state, where APC members were waiting for the electoral officers at around 12 noon.
In some other wards, hoodlums who stationed themselves at the polling areas prevented members of the party who are not in their camp from voting.
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