Uncertainty now surrounds the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State as Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa emerged as the party’s candidate for the upcoming November gubernatorial election, amid questions regarding the integrity of the primary election process.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) report highlighted various irregularities that tainted the shadow election held in different parts of the state.
Governor Aiyedatiwa was declared the winner of the primaries by the Primary Election Committee chaired by Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State. Aiyedatiwa secured 48,569 votes, outshining 15 other aspirants.
According to the report submitted by INEC electoral officials who monitored the primaries across 203 political wards in the state, irregularities were noted in certain areas. These irregularities included issues like the non-arrival of electoral materials and inadequate collation of results.
As stated in the Certified True Copy (CTC) submitted to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, INEC officers reported that the election did not take place in some locations.
In one segment of the report, it was mentioned: “The APC Primary was supposed to take place in Ifedore Local Government Area on April 20, 2024. However, the necessary materials and election committee were not available across all 10 wards, leading to a failed election process in those locations.”
Regarding Ilaje Local Government Area, the report noted: “Despite the presence of INEC monitors, the primary election did not take place due to the absence of election materials across all 12 Registration Areas (RAs). Collation of results was also hampered as the collation center was inaccessible.”
In light of the controversies surrounding the primaries, six aspirants who contested against Aiyedatiwa have lodged petitions before the party’s appeal committee, opting to exhaust internal party mechanisms before considering legal action.
The violence experienced during the primaries was corroborated by the party’s returning officer in Ifedore Local Council, Oliver Okpala. He reported that the election could not proceed due to violent disruptions, resulting in zero votes being recorded for all aspirants in that area.