Three out of the sixteen aspirants in the Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election have formally petitioned the party, urging for the annulment of the election results. The aspirants who lodged their appeals with the party’s appeal committee include Wale Akinterinwa, Olugebenga Edema, and Jimi Odimayo.
The election committee, chaired by Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the primary election, garnering a total of 48,569 votes.
Following the declaration, the leader of the appeal committee, former governor of Bauchi State Mohammed Abubakar, confirmed the receipt of petitions from the three aspirants, expressing concerns over the conduct of the exercise.
“We have received three petitions from these three aspirants: Gbenga Edema, Jimi Odimayo, and Wale Akinterinwa,” stated Abubakar.
In his appeal, Akinterinwa raised concerns about the alleged failure of the committee to distribute materials to any local government in Ondo State for the election, calling for the cancellation of the purported election and the scheduling of a new date for a fresh election.
Edema, in his petition, highlighted the absence of any election in Ondo State APC and urged the committee to order the conduct of a proper election without delay.
Meanwhile, Odimayo called for the outright cancellation of the APC primary election and the immediate disbandment of the seven-man committee, citing violations of party guidelines and a conflict of interest among returning officers.
Abubakar reassured party members that the appeal committee, comprising Obiocha Israel (Secretary), Jamilu Gwamna, Patrick Obahiagbo, and Onyeka Okafor, would meticulously and transparently address any complaints received.
“We will consider the total number of petitions we receive and render a report to the national headquarters before the party takes a final decision on the issue,” Abubakar emphasized, urging aspirants with grievances to forward their complaints to the committee’s office at the party headquarters.
