Ondo APC primaries: committee receives petitions

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Appeal Committee announced that it has received three petitions over the recently concluded governorship primary in Ondo State.

Topnaija recalled that, Gov. Usman Ododo‘s commission, which oversaw the election, named Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa the winner of the Ondo APC primaries.

Aiyedatiwa, who ran against 16 other candidates, was named the party’s governorship candidate for the November 16 election.

Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, the head of the five-member appeals committee, stated that petitions had been received from Olugbenga Edema, Jimi Odimayo, and Wale Akinterinwa at a news conference on Monday in Akure.

Abubakar, a former governor of Bauchi state, stated that the aspirants objected that the primary did not take place in all 203 wards of the state and that the process was riddled with anomalies.

“So far, we have received three petitions; one from Olugbenga Edema, Jimmy Odimayo and the last one from Adewale Akinterinwa.

“The situation I met on ground was an inconclusive election that needed to be repeated in one local government.

“They were able to repeat election in that local government and by early this morning, they were able to declare the results of the primary.

“It is traditional in APC to set up a committee like this, in order to follow up on the fallout of the primary election.

“It’s as a result of this that I invited the gentlemen of the press to be here today, so that I can announce to them, the presence of this committee and the readiness of this committee to receive whatever complaints, as a fallout from the primary election,” the committee head said.

Abubakar stated that the committee would expect further petitions from other dissatisfied aspirants between Monday and Tuesday afternoon.

According to him, the committee’s secretary, Obiocha Israel, will be accessible to take petitions at the APC secretariat in Akure for two days.

“The committee will be here till on Tuesday to collect whatever complaints that may be.

“Let me use this opportunity to assure members of our party that this committee intends to be thorough and transparent in treating any complaint that we will receive.

“I can assure you that within a space of few days, we will consider total number of petitions we received and render a report to the national headquarters of our party, before the party takes a final decision on the issue of the primary.

“I am calling on all the aspirants that have complaint(s) to please, feel free to forward it to us. We have since established our office at the headquarters of the party,” he said.