…SAYS ELECTION DIDN’T TAKE PLACE IN THE STATE
LAGOS – A group of Leaders in Ondo State, under the aegis of Movement of Truth (MOT), have called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and call for cancellation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Primary Election that held at the weekend, and order a fresh exercise to pick the party’s candidate for the party for forthcoming election.
MOT, which disclosed this on Wednesday during a press conference in Lagos, had earlier expressed support for one of the aspirants, Chief Olusola Oke.
While addressing the press conference, the leader of the group, Dr. Benson Enikuomehin who was supported by Otunba Stephen Omogbemi, Primate David Liazir, Barr. Kayode Mogbojuri, Miss Precious Eyo, David Olusegun and Tayo Fakolujo, described the exercise that produced the incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as winner as a charade, a misnomer and an abnormality.
Recall that the Kogi State Governor and Chairman of the Election Organising Committee, Usman Ododo, had on Monday, April 22, 2024, declared Governor Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the APC gubernatorial ticket for the November 16 election.
Ododo said Aiyedatiwa secured 48,569 votes to defeat his closest challengers: Mayowa Akinfolarin who had 15,343 votes and Olusola Oke who polled 14,915 votes, adding that Aiyedatiwa won in 16 of the 18 LGAs in the state while Oke won in Ilaje Local Government Area.
Enikuomehin maintained that no voting was held on that day as, according to him, no electoral materials were sent to any of the local government areas where electoral officers were supposed to be in charge, calling on President Tinubu to request for another election in order to save the party.
While calling for cancellation of the exercise, Enikuomehin insisted that the people of Ondo wouldn’t accept the “charade that was conducted on Saturday,” warning that APC was not the only party in the state and, therefore, the need to cancel the exercise and order a fresh one that would be free, fair and credible.
“We must warn that APC is not the only party in Ondo State, so we enjoin the party leadership to do another election that is credible, fair and free. Whoever wins will be supported.
“If APC should go ahead and accept this shenanigan, the people of Ondo won’t take it lightly, it may affect the chances of the party,” Enikuomehin warned.
Speaking further, Enikuomehin, while noting that the group’s support for Oke was not a mistake because of his pedigree and capability, pointed out that Governor Aiyedatiwa even though was qualified to contest the election, argued that his emergence would shortchange the people of Ondo South since he would not be able to go beyond first term in office going by the provision of the 1999 Constitution.
He, however, maintained that the exercise conducted last Saturday was a charade, saying that the Movement which he belongs to expected credible, reliable and transparent elections would be held, “but the opposite was what transpired on the day of the primary.”
“From information gathered 172,000 persons who paid their dues in the 18 local governments and 203 wards will be allowed to vote through option A4. That is the procedure which is sine qua non in any election.
“It was alleged that three to four days before the election some people have already printed membership cards, we didn’t bother since we expected due process would be adopted on the D-Day,” he alleged.
Enikuomehin, while further faulting the primary exercise, said that contrary to the promise made by the secretary of the committee, Senator Ovie Omo Agege, that election materials would be distributed in all the wards, it came as a shock for them to have results without any election taken place.
He alleged further that the chairman of the election committee, Governor Ododo, who later showed up on election day at about noon, said the election materials had been distributed since 7am, a statement which he said equally came as a shock to all the agents and some aspirants who had been waiting as early as 6am at the distribution center.
“It came as a surprise that he (Chairman) couldn’t answer the questions thrown to him. The article 23 of the APC constitution which has to do with the distribution of election materials was not followed. I challenge anyone to produce a single paper of the official result sheets,”
“The Governor who is also from my own ward did not vote. You know in this kind of event, the press crew would be there and capture it. Let them show to the world the video clip where the Governor voted?” he queried.
“If you have something on nothing, it won’t stand. There was no election but allocation of result. Ododo came allocated results and relocated to Abuja,” he alleged.
Also speaking, Barr. Mogbojuri alleged that there was a calculated attempt to destabilize the South West zone, saying the national chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, “seems to be working for the opposition so that the party could lose Ondo State.”
Mogbojuri warned that the opposition parties might use chairman’s suspension against APC, which suspension and court order hasn’t been vacated by any court of law, so that the party wouldn’t have control in Ondo.
He corroborated Enikuomehin in calling for cancellation of the exercise, saying that the people of South West were calling on President Tinubu to do this and order a fresh primary in the state credit – Daily independent
