..Oke, Akinterinwa, other aspirants call for cancellation
..Governor Ododo commends stakeholders, party members over massive turnout in Ondo Primaries
Kogi State Governor and chairman of the Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election committee has commended stakeholders and members of the party in Ondo state for their orderly conduct and massive turnout during the direct primary election in the state.
Governor Ododo gave the commendation while receiving reports from members of the APC Governorship Primary Election committee, security agencies and other stakeholders who monitored the conduct of the election in different parts of the 18 local government areas in the state.
According to Governor Ododo: “I have received reports from our committee members and security agencies as well as NGOs monitoring the election including video footages and I can say that the process has been transparent and we are going to produce a candidate that will unify the APC ahead of the November, 2024 governorship election in the state.”
Responding to questions over delay in arrival of materials in some wards and local government areas, Governor Ododo said he was certain that the delay has no adverse effect on the conduct of the primary election.
The Kogi State Governor also expressed confidence that concerns noticed in the revalidated membership list would not have any major impact on the outcome of the primary election, stressing that the committee is well guided by the APC guidelines for the nomination of candidates for general elections and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
Governor Ododo called on the aspirants and their supporters to see the primary election as a contest among brothers and sisters in one family seeking to make the family better as candidate of the party in the November, 2024 Governorship election in Ondo State.
Ismaila Isah
Special Adviser on Media to the Kogi State Governor
..Aiyedatiwa appreciates supporters
Ondo state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has commended the members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state for participating in the “democratic process” of the Saturday’s primary exercise.
Mr Aiyedatiwa and 14 other governorship aspirants of the party took part in the exercise, held in the eighteen LGAs of the state.
The governor, who exercised his franchise at Ugbo ward 4, in Obenla area of Ilaje LG, affirmed his commitment to upholding the principles of transparency and fairness in the electing the flag bearer of the party.
He explained that it was a great privileged for him seeing the significant turn out of party members performing their civic duty in weekend shadow election.
“I extend my deepest appreciation to all who have gathered here to partake in this important democratic process. Together, let us forge ahead towards a brighter future for our beloved state.
“The tremendous turnout we witness here today is no surprise to me, for this is where my journey began. It is here, amidst the familiar streets and faces, where I took my first steps and received my primary education,” he said.
Received by a jubilant supporters, who cheered and waved party banners in a display of solidarity, Mr Aiyedatiwa said he was happy to return to his coastal community and file on a single queue and take part in the delegate mode of the primary.
“This marks a special homecoming for me, as I express my heartfelt gratitude to my fellow constituents, esteemed party members, and the vibrant community of Ugbo Ward 4 in Ilaje Local Government.
“Today, in the very land of my birth, I stand to exercise my right to vote and to vie for the honor of representing our party as its gubernatorial flag bearer in the November gubernatorial election.
“The joy of reconnecting with my roots is further heightened by the presence of two of my childhood classmates, a delightful reunion that fills me with immense happiness.”
He, however, called on all the stakeholders to embrace unity and cohesion, emphasizing the need for collective efforts towards advancing the development agenda of Ondo state.
..Electoral committee announces rerun in Okitipupa LGA
Having received reports of the primary election from the 203 Wards in the 18 Local Governments of Ondo State, the Primary election Committee has decided that election will be conducted in all the 13 Wards of Okitipupa Local Government with total validated registered members of 9,515 because of validated reports that the exercise did not hold in the Local government due to late arrival of materials and personnel as a result of logistics challenges.
Election in Okitipupa Local Government shall be conducted 12 noon on Sunday 21st April 2024.
The final collation of the results will be done thereafter.
Signed
His Excellency
Alhaji Usman Ododo
Chairman, Ondo Primary Election Committee
ATTEMPT TO GIVE USMAN ODODO-LED PRIMARY ELECTION COMMITTEE’S TRAVESTY OF DEMOCRACY; A STAMP OF CREDIBILITY- Oke
..kicks against reconduct of election in one local government but total cancellation
The Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation will like to point attention to the attempt of the Usman Ododo-led primary election committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to give an impression that it conducted a credible governorship nomination exercise in Ondo state on Saturday.
This attempt is the purported rescheduling of the exercise in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state. Our question is that how can a primary election that did not take place anywhere in the state be rescheduled in one of the 18 local government areas? We consider this as a shameful attempt to give the sham a stamp of credibility.
We also see it as an insult to the sensibilities and religion of the people of Okitipupa Local Government Area to slate an election for 12 pm on Sunday. The local government area is predominantly populated by Christians and they will be in church at the time the exercise will be taking place. It is our belief that this is an unthinking plan to disenfranchise members of our party in the area.
Ododo has been reported to have hailed the travesty of democracy that the disgraceful action of his primary election team represents. This is not unexpected of the governor. This is because Ododo is a product of electoral frauds, a fact known to the whole world.
Why would Ododo not applaud an exercise that was characterised by violence, intimidation and fraudulent practices, all of which were what paved his way to the seat of Kogi state governor? It is a well-known fact that his election as governor was hallmarked by sorrow, tears and blood of the people of Kogi state.
Ododo is a character that lacks democratic credentials and a sense of decency. We wonder why the national body of our party gave a sensitive assignment such as the conduct of the governorship primary election in Ondo state to a fellow who does not appreciate democratic principles. We understand the limitations of Governor Ododo. Since he is a product of election that is driven by violence and intimidation, seeing an election that is tainted by an unimaginable volume of violence, maximum intimidation and gross manipulation will certainly means nothing to him.
We insist that what happened in Ondo state yesterday was a disheartening mockery of democracy. As a result, our party has become a booth of joke 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.
Ojo Oyewamide
Spokesperson, Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation
April 20, 2024.
THIS SHOW OF SHAME CANNOT STAND- Akinterinwa
The Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation wishes to put on record our observations of the show of shame put on display yesterday, Saturday, April 20, 2024 by the election committee for the Ondo state governorship primary election.
It has become very important for us to speak lest the people, party leaders and the general public are deceived by the Governor, Usman Ododo-led committee that election was held to select the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state.
Without any fear of contradcition, we state here that no election was held in any part of Ondo state yesterday 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 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 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 not see any part of the state where electoral committee members counted the votes as expected. Rather, what they witnessed was 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.
It is also notewhorthy to state that on Friday, April 19, 2024, the secretary of the committee, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who stood in for Governor Usman Ododo at the stakeholders’ meeting had assured all the aspirants and other stakeholders that all the guidelines put in place to ensure the integrity and smooth conduct of the nomination exercise would be followed to the letter.
But it was not surprising that what Governor Ododo superintend on Saturday was a far distant from what was promised. However, what was suprising was the audacity and the indecent manner the election committee actualised its plot, which was scripted and directed to favour a particular aspirant.
For them, a little display of decency by allowing the 203 wards election committees to pretend to do their job was a sheer waste of their precious time. Never before in the history of the APC have we witnessed anything close to what was put on display on Saturday.
Saturday’s sham election will probably go down as one of the most controversial primary elections ever conducted by our party. The supportive and hardworking members of the APC were robbed and made to understand or believe that their votes do not count.
While we are still trying to process the shameful manipulation and fraud that attended this election, it remains a huge and didfficult task to understand why the electoral committee was in such a hurry to conclude and announce their candidate as the winner.
However, we greet the resilience of our supporters across the 203 electoral wards in the state who forsook their farms, trades and other matters to queue in the sun till well after 3pm. Be rest assured that your effort is noted and your sweat has not gone in vain.
We, therefore most respectfully appeal to all our supporters to remain calm and peaceful, law-abiding and conduct themselves in a most responsible manner while we explore legal and democratic ways to register our grievances. We assure you that our principal, Wale Akinterinwa remains absolutely undaunted and deeply committed to the tenets of democracy and we want to let the world know that this is not about Wale Akinterinwa, it is our own contribution to deepen democracy and for a better life for our people. It is about the future of our state.
Thank you
E-signed
Segun Ajiboye
For: Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation
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