On Thursday, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) engaged in discussions with disgruntled governorship contenders in a bid to foster unity ahead of the off-cycle election scheduled for November 21.
Following the primary election held last weekend, which was overseen by a team led by Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa emerged victorious with 48,569 votes in the direct primary, surpassing the 15 other aspirants.
Despite the outcome, certain contenders raised objections to the election results citing alleged irregularities. Among the dissenting candidates are Olugbenga Edema, Omoba Jimmy Odimayo, and Adewale Akinterinwa.
During the reconciliation session at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, extended his gratitude to the aggrieved aspirants.
He expressed, “I appreciate your prompt response to our invitation and acknowledge the emotional strain resulting from the recent hasty primary. As democrats, we encounter the highs and lows of politics. Our aim today is to seek common ground, not to dwell on past events or engage in excessive analysis that could lead to stagnation.”
Ganduje continued, “Our collective goal is to maintain the APC as the ruling party in Ondo State. While we are stakeholders in the party’s national leadership, we also acknowledge your ownership of the state and the party within. Let us unite to sustain the party’s dominance in Ondo State—it’s our mutual aspiration.”
Reflecting on his personal political journey, he shared, “I, too, faced setbacks in my gubernatorial aspirations in 1999. It took me 16 years before I became a governor. Patience and perseverance were key. So, I urge you not to view yourselves as defeated aspirants but as future achievers.”