Aspirants within the All Progressives Congress (APC) who vied for the party’s ticket in the forthcoming Ondo State gubernatorial election have come to a resolution to pursue legal recourse.
These aspirants are contemplating taking legal actions against the committee led by Governor Usman Ododo, responsible for conducting the recent primary election.
The aspirants are asserting that the entire election process was flawed.
The APC conducted its primary election on April 20 for the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for November 16, 2024.
Despite incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa emerging as the winner, the exercise was mired in controversy with many aspirants alleging irregularities.
While some aspirants claimed that the primary election did not adhere to the party’s protocols, others outrightly stated that no election took place.
During the election, Mr. Gbenga Edema accused Governor Ododo of disregarding the due process outlined by the party’s national leadership.
Edema raised concerns about the delay in releasing electoral materials for the primary, which contradicted the resolutions made during a prior stakeholders’ meeting.
Several aspirants, including Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Olusola Oke, Folakemi Omogoroye, Olugbenga Edema, Jimi Odimayo, and Wale Akinterinwa, lodged petitions contesting Aiyedatiwa’s victory.
They are adamant that the election should be annulled, highlighting their reservations about Ododo’s suitability to head the committee.
Ganduje Mediation
A closed-door peace meeting was convened last week between the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Working Committee (NWC), Governor Aiyedatiwa, and the disgruntled aspirants.
Efforts by Ganduje and the NWC to broker peace between the governor and the aspirants proved unsuccessful, culminating in a deadlock.
During the meeting, Ganduje implored the aggrieved aspirants to prioritize party interests over personal grievances.
The aspirants, however, stood their ground, refusing to retract their petitions and asserting that no valid primary election occurred on April 20.
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that at least three aspirants have decided to take the matter to court.
They alleged that the primary election, overseen by the Ododo-led committee, was conducted in a hotel, with the “winner” predetermined before the voting commenced.
The aggrieved aspirants have pledged to mobilize against the governor during the November election if their petition is not duly considered by the party hierarchy.
In an interview with the media, aspirant Hon Olugbenga Edema maintained that Aiyedatiwa’s victory was illegitimately declared.
Edema voiced the need for a post-mortem to investigate the election irregularities, emphasizing the need for due process to be followed.
He indicated that their next step hinges on the outcome of the appeal committee set up to review their grievances.
Should their appeal be dismissed, Edema affirmed that they would consider legal action after exhausting internal conflict resolution mechanisms within the party.
In response to questions regarding his support for Aiyedatiwa in the upcoming election, Edema emphasized the need for upholding legality and transparency in the electoral process.
He also referenced potential certificate forgery issues and underscored the importance of preempting electoral pitfalls based on past experiences in other states.
Aggrieved Ondo State APC youth members converged at the national party secretariat in Abuja to protest the primary election’s outcome, urging for its cancellation.
Meanwhile, Governor Aiyedatiwa dismissed allegations of irregularities in his emergence as the APC flagbearer, asserting that the process was transparent and fair.