The Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has won the governorship primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, held on Saturday.
In the poll, the governor scored a total of 48,460 votes in the total votes cast in the 18 local government areas of the state.
The result was announced by the Primary Election Committee headed by the Kogi State Governor, Mr Usman Ododo, on Sunday night.
But, some of the governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State yesterday rejected the conduct of the primacy election and demanded its cancellation.
They also passed a vote of no confidence in the chairman of the primary election committee, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo.
The aspirants said that Governor Ododo did not follow the due process laid down by the national leadership of the party.
Mr Gbenga Edema, one of the aspirants, “We are not people that could be manipulated by godfathers. So, we are asking our national leadership that if they are not ready, they should postpone it until the right thing is done,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Sola Ajisafe, who represented Mr Wale Akinterinwa, one of the aspirants said that there was no election held in the state.
“My people have been calling me that no single material has been distributed in their wards.
“What is playing out here is connivance to short change the people of the state and reduce our capacity to choose our leader.
“We are saying that they should reschedule another election because this election did not even hold.
The APC primary was held across the 203 wards and 18 local government areas of the state amid protests by some of the governorship aspirants.
No fewer than 16 members of the party contested the ticket of the party in the Saturday primary.
They include Aiyedatiwa, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, Wale Akinterinwa, Prof Dayo Faduyile, Mr Gbenga Edema, Mr Jimi Odimayo and Dr Jimoh Ibrahim.
Others are, Brig. Gen. Olamide Ohunyeye (retd), Mr Diran Iyantan, Ife Oyedele, Mr Soji Ehinlawo, Mrs Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo , Mr Morayo Lebi, and Mrs Funke Omogoroye.
The national leadership of the party set up a nine-man committee headed by Ododo, while Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was appointed as the secretary.
Ododo, who arrived in the state on Saturday morning, addressed some of the aggrieved stakeholders at the distribution centre (a hotel) in Ijapo area of Akure, saying the electoral materials had been sent to the Ondo South and Ondo North senatorial districts remaining that of the Ondo Central (as of 10.30am).
“There was no issue, I just came this (Saturday) morning, and I was told that the election materials have been taken to Ondo South and Ondo North Senatorial Districts,” the committee chairman stated.
But one of the aspirants, Gbenga Edema, disagreed with the governor, saying election materials were not moved anywhere.
He said, “I have been here since 6.30am and I didn’t see any material taken out of this place. The returning officers and electoral officers of my ward, Mahin Ward 2 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.”
Similarly, the Programme Officer of the Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organization, Sola Arowosafe, demanded the cancellation of the entire exercise, alleging that the primary election committee was not fair with the process.
