Abraham files appeal against Ondo primary

Another aspirant has rejected the result of the Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship election primary.

The first runner-up in the election, Dr Segun Abraham, has challenged the victory of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN). His petition is with the Appeal Committee.

The result announced by the Election Committee headed by Jigawa State Governor Muhammed Badaru Abubakar stated that Akeredolu scored 669 votes. Abraham polled 635.

Abraham said he was prompted to challenge the result following the emergence of sordid facts on how the process leading to the primary election was manipulated and compromised. After wide consultation with his numerous supporters, Abraham decided to explore the internal mechanism of the party to seek redress.

Another aspirant, Olusola Oke, has also rejected the result, alleging – like many party chiefs – that the list of delegates was doctored.

A statement signed by the Director-General of Abraham’s campaign organisation Mr Olu Adegboro, reads: “It is no longer news that as a true democrat, imbued with the best spirit of sportsmanship, I congratulated Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, who purportedly emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the September 3rd gubernatorial primary election in Ondo State in the face of palpable disbelief and surprise on the outcome of the primary election by my numerous supporters.

“The news however is that, sordid and staggering facts have since emerged on how the process leading to the primary election was manipulated and compromised. It is now beyond doubt that the delegate list used on the day of the primary election was doctored and strangely injected with a mind blowing number of delegates who are neither executive members of our party nor statutory delegates.

“To say the least, the manipulation of the delegate list, highly skewed accreditation process and the entire processes leading to the conduct of the primary election have cast the darkest stain on the result of the primary election held on the 3rd September, 2016.

“Against this background, coupled with the change and integrity that our party preaches and practises, and having widely consulted with my numerous supporters, I have reached the hour of decision to fall back on the internal mechanism of our great party to seek redress so that the end of justice will be served and, more importantly, our democracy may endure. To this end, the outcome of the September 3rd APC governorship primaries in Ondo State is unacceptable and I hereby against same.

“The allegations that have sadly pelted the supposedly free and fair Saturday exercise, where 24 aspirants battled to pick the party’s ticket, include but not limited to delegates list tampering, fake delegates incursion, disenfranchising of rightful delegates, smuggling of illegal ballot papers into ballot count”, he concluded.