Aspirants under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akoko Northeast/Northwest federal constituency of Ondo State have asked for the cancellation of the primary of the party held at the weekend.
Ifeoluwa Ehindero has emerged as the candidate of APC for the bye-election to replace the Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo at the National Assembly.
But other aspirants Hon. Olugbenga Araoyinbo, Haruna Adesina, Dr. Muyiwa Olusa, Alhaji Olanrewaju Kazeem, Bimbo Makinde, Prince Charles Babalola, Wale Owolabi and Lasisi Mohammed rejected the outcome of the primary election that produced Ehindero as a candidate.
Araoyinbo who spoke with reporters after the aspirants met with the Appeal Committee of the APC said the primary was fraught with irregularities and should be canceled for a fresh one to produce the candidate of the party.
His words “There was no delegate congress in the two local governments before the primary election in accordance to the guideline of the party that was sent out by the national organ of the party before the primary.
“We told the chairman of the panel at the election venue that this is not an election, We don’t even have the list of delegates, we said the right thing should be done, and all of us challenged the process except one aspirant who came in with the purported delegates.
“We told the chairman of the primary committee that there was not going to be any election here, we didn’t have the delegate list and there was no way you can conduct an election where there is no list of delegates for the aspirant to see and talk to, canvass to vote for him or her before the election.
“At the end of the day, there was rancor and I was arrested and taken to Akure the headquarters of Ondo State Police Command, and later to anti cultist section of Nigeria police. At the end of the day, I learnt they finally conducted a kangaroo primary, and was won by Ife Ehindero.
“What led to my arrest was that they were helping one old man to fill the delegate form at the venue of that primary election and I kicked against it, why would you be helping someone to fill the delegate form at the venue of the election and I challenged them to let me see what they were filling they now dragged it with me and tore it, that’s the reason why I was been taking away by police.”
Araoyinbo said the party should follow their laid down rules. We are demanding from the party that the purported primary election should be canceled. We don’t want to have a problem with the party for the sake of the party.
“We don’t want a situation whereby an opposition party will emerge at the end of the day, so we are telling the party that they should cancel the purported primary election so that we can go for another delegate congress for us to have a free and fair primary election where every member of the party will participate.
“Whoever is willing to participate from his or her ward will go and obtain form and contest freely without being harassed. We are appealing to the party now to do the needful because we were part of this party, bonafide members of this party, and we hope that the chairman of the party Alhaji Umar Ganduje will do the needful.”
