Amidst protests over the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Ondo State, Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa was, early on Monday morning, declared winner.
The Chairman of the party’s Primary Election Committee for Ondo State and Governor of Kogi, Usman Ododo, said Aiyedatiwa, having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the highest votes, was the winner.
171,922 members of the party were revalidated to vote in 203 wards in the 18 local government areas of the state.
Ododo said that Aiyedatiwa polled 48,569 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Mr. Mayowa Akinfolarin, who had 15,343 out of the 95,178 valid votes counted. Mr. Olusola Oke [SAN] placed third with 14,195 votes.
According to the chairman of the election committee, Aiyedatiwa won in 16 out of the 18 local government areas of the state, while Oke won in one.
He said that there was no voting in Ifedore Local Government Area as a result of widespread violence and threat to life.
Ododo appreciated all party members who participated in the exercise for their courage and perseverance, describing the primary election as peaceful.
He said that the real work had just begun, adding that the aspirants and their supporters should not allow the results of the primary election to divide them. According to him, there is no reason to abandon the party.
The chairman asked the party members to be in unity in order to come out more united and stronger in the subsequent political contests.
APC had adopted the direct mode for the conduct of the primary, which held on Saturday. However, due to some irregularities, a rerun was ordered on Sunday in the 13 wards in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state.
Earlier, some of the aspirants had criticized the conduct of the primary election, alleging violence and non-arrival of materials and officials in some wards.
There was also a protest on Sunday by supporters of some of the aspirants at the APC secretariat in Akure, who called for the cancellation of the exercise.
Other aspirants that participated in the primary are: Messrs. Isaac Kekemeke, Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Olugbenga Edema, Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Diran Iyantan, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, and Prof. Dayo Faduyile.
Others are: Mrs. Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, Mrs. Judith Omogoroye, Messrs. Adewale Akinterinwa, Olusola Oke, Ohunyeye Felix, Morayo Lebi, and Jimi Odimayo. ( NAN)
