Two aspirants in the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Mr Wale Akinterinwa and Chief Olusola Oke, on Sunday, condemned the process of the election.
The primaries held in 18 local government areas of the state was on Sunday declared by the head of the party’s organising committee and Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, as inconclusive.
The Ondo APC primary was reportedly characterised with controversy as some aspirants called for its cancellation.
Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation’s spokesman, Mr Segun Ajiboye, in a statement issued by the
the organisation, described the exercise as a show of shame, saying the Ododo-led committee did not do well in the conduct of the shadow poll.
The statement read, “Without any fear of contradiction, we state here that no election was held in any part of Ondo State on Saturday to elect the candidate of the APC.
“It is on record with incontrovertible evidence that nothing in the semblance of a primary election was held in all the 203 wards in Ondo State.
“At best, what can be said to have happened was that the committee chairman, Governor Ododo, arrived in the state at about 8am on Saturday to write the result of an election that was never conducted.
“Saturday’s election presented our dear party with a rare opportunity to endear itself to the people of the state. All that was needed was for us to organise an election that would be hailed by all, even the opposition. But we bungled the opportunity with the sham organised by the electoral committee.
“The people have eyes, and they can see. But on Saturday, they did not see any part of the state where electoral committee members counted the votes as expected. Rather, what they witnessed was a crowd of our enthusiastic supporters who stood in the sun for several hours waiting for the elusive electoral officers to turn up. But we dashed their hopes and expectations of a robust democratic engagement.”
Similarly, the Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation, in a statement issued by its spokesman, Mr Ojo Oyewamide, on Sunday, described the primary as a mockery of democracy.
The statement read, “We insist that what happened in Ondo State yesterday (Saturday ) was a disheartening mockery of democracy. As a result, our party has become a boot of jokes in the hands of the opposition parties and the people of the state.
“We will like to categorically state that the Kogi Governor cannot impose a candidate on our party members through a shambolic exercise. It is unacceptable to us.”
The compilation and announcement the results of the primary by the Committee is still being awaited.