Politics

Ondo: APC Committee Clears 16 Gov Aspirants For Screening

ByHafsoh Isiaq

PublishedApril 9, 2024

The Screening Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the forthcoming Ondo State Governorship Election Primary, has cleared all the governorship aspirants of the party ahead of the shadow election.

The vetting committee’s screening, headed by Prof Abdulkarim Kana, precedes the main screening for the aspirants coming up on Thursday.

The committee also dismissed the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa by one of the aspirants, Mr. Gbenga Edema, saying Aiyedatiwa had presented a genuine academic certificate to the party.

According to the report made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, the aspirants who bought and submitted forms are Adewale Akinterinwa, Isaacs Kekemeke Francis Faduyile, Oladiran Iyantan, Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Jimoh Ibrahim and Odimayo Okunjimi.

Others include Mayo Akinfolarin, Morayo Lebi, Olamide Ohunyeye Olugbenga Edema, Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Olusola Oke, Omogoroye Judith, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Waheed-Adekojo Funmilayo.

The report read, “Based on the findings of the vetting process, the committee recommends that all aspirants are cleared to participate in the screening exercises.

“The Vetting Committee is confident that the vetting process has been conducted with integrity and transparency.

“The committee’s recommendations are aimed at ensuring that only qualified and credible aspirants are presented for the party primaries, in line with the party’s commitment to internal democracy and good governance.”

Edema, in his petition, pleaded with the National Chairman of the party, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, and the National Working Committee to investigate the certificate forgery allegation levelled against the governor.

Edema said, in the petition, “You will recall that the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the year 2019 annulled the election of David Lyon and his running mate as the duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor respectively on the ground of eligibility. The Supreme Court found as a fact that the running mate, Senator Degi-Eremienyo, presented a forged document to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“It is against this background that I wrote a letter to the chairman of the credentials/document vetting committee of the APC which the party set up, to critically look at the credentials which His Excellency, Lucky Ayedatiwa submitted.”

However, the governor, through his lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), debunked the claim, saying Aiyedatiwa sat for the West African School Certificate Examination and his results were genuine.

In a letter, Adegboruwa disclosed that some conscious steps had been taken to confirm the allegations against the governor, which later turned out to be untrue.

Consequently, the lawyer demanded that a public apology be published in three major newspapers and an immediate withdrawal of the publications made regarding the governor’s certificate. He also demanded compensation for the false publications made against the governor.