Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has emerged the winner of the governorship primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state.
The primary was held on Saturday but concluded and Sunday due to some glitches.
Aiyedatiwa clinched the nomination with a resounding victory, amassing a total of 48,569 votes in the primaries. His closest contender, Mayowa Akinfolarin, trailed behind with 15,343 votes, while Chief Olusola Oke secured the third position with 14,865 votes.
The announcement was made by the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo. Governor Ododo, reflecting on the competitive nature of the primaries, highlighted the rigorous contest that characterized the electoral process.
16 APC aspirants competed for a total of 171, 922 votes.
They include the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim; Olusola Oke SAN, former President of Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Francis Faduyile, a mechanical engineer, Dr Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo and the National Vice Chairman of the APC (South West), Isaac Kekemeke.
Others are Dr Soji Ehinlanwo, Akinfolarin Samuel, Okunjimi Odimayo, Adewale Akinterinwa, Olugbenga Edema and Brig. Gen. Ohunyeye Olamide (retd), Morayo Lebi, Oladiran Iyatan and Engnr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele.
Meanwhile, scores of members of the APC in the state on Sunday morning, took to the streets of Akure, the state capital to protest against the conduct of the primary.
The protesters alleged that the primary election committee led by Governor Ododo did not follow the party’s guidelines.
The protesters, who also stormed the state secretariat of the APC in Akure, expressed displeasure over the conduct of the governorship primary in the state.
They were said to be supporters of some governorship aspirants who participated in the primary and lost out.
They were armed with placards with various inscriptions such as “No election in Ondo”; “APC primary electoral officers failed to show up in all wards in Ondo State,’ ‘We demand fairness and justice in APC primary election in Ondo’’; ‘No mandate for Aiyedatiwa, We’re calling for fresh primary election”; ‘NWC of APC No Mandate for Aiyedatiwa”; “Saturday ‘s APC primary in Ondo was a sham”, among others.
The Director General of Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation, Ondo Central Senatorial District, Mr. Adeniran Oyebade, while speaking for the protesters said the people of the state would not allow their mandate to be stolen.
Oyebade said, “We are protesting against our mandate that was stolen. It was a daylight robbery, a monumental disaster. The APC delegated some people to Ondo State to conduct the primary, apparently, that was never done. They remained in Akure and started writing results.”
Calling for the disbandment of the Primary Election Committee of the APC in the state, Oyebade said the committee had caused more division in the party in the state.
“Election crime is a serious crime. You cannot come to the wards of our people and start terrorising them against their will. What we want is the cancellation of the election because the election did not take place,” he declared
In the same vein, three aspirants in the election, Mr. Wale Akinterinwa, and one of the two female aspirants, Mrs Folakemi Omogoroye, condemned the process of the election on Sunday, demanding the cancellation of the whole exercise.
