Elections
Ondo: Jimoh Ibrahim Still Quiet, Other Aspirants Kick As Aiyedatiwa Hails Primary Victory
Gov Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State on Monday appreciated President Bola Tinubu for allowing enabling environment for the peaceful conduct of the Saturday’s governorship primary in the state that brought him victory.
Aiyedatiwa stated this in his acceptance speech after his emergency as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Nov. 16 governorship election in the state.
Usman Ododo, the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee for Ondo State and Governor of Kogi, had on Monday declared Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the Saturday’s primary.
Aiyedatiwa also appreciated the national and state working committee of the party for ensuring that the “best candidate emerged” as the party’s standard bearer.
He also commended other contestants for their sportsmanship and urged them to join hands with him to ensure the party’s victory in the November election.
“Democracy sometimes comes with discordant tunes. This is not the time to hold grudge against one another, but for all of us to come together so as to remain in power,” he said. (NAN)
In the final tally, Aiyedatiwa won 48,569 votes; Samuel Akinfolarin, 15,182; Olusola Oke, 14,453; Jimoh Ibrahim, 9,457 and Wale Akinterinwa, 1,952.
A mild drama played out during the collation of results.
The Returning Officer for Ifedore Local Government Area, Chief Oliver Okpala, said he recorded zero for all the aspirants because no election took place.
According to him, there was violence, which forced prospective voters to stay indoors.
He said: “No election took place in Ifedore. We couldn’t find anybody in any ward. Everybody had taken shelter in their homes.
“There was violence everywhere. We saw people mobilising. Police were on ground to give protection.”
The governor won in 16 local governments. Oke won in Ilaje Local Government while no results were declared in Ifedore.
Ododo, who announced Aiyedatiwa as the winner, called on other aspirants to work with the governor for the success of the party in the November election.
The Kogi State Governor appealed to other aspirants not to abandon the party.
There were protests by aggrieved party members, who claimed the election was not held.
Protesters holding placards and singing songs stormed the state secretariat of the APC, Akure, demanding the cancellation of results and a rerun.
Four out of the 16 aspirants – Oke, Akinterinwa, Jimi Odimayo and Folakemi Omogoroye – have rejected the outcome.
Omogoroye, the only woman aspirant, threatened to institute legal action if the primary was not cancelled.
Akinterinwa said it was a show of shame.
The placards by the protesters bore the inscriptions: “No election in Ondo,” APC primary electoral officers failed to show up in all wards in Ondo State,” “We demand fairness and justice in APC primary election in Ondo,” and “No mandate for Aiyedatiwa, We’re calling for fresh primary election.”
Others read: “NWC of APC No Mandate for Aiyedatiwa,” “Saturday ‘s APC primary in Ondo was a sham,” “APC Must Not Collapse In Ondo State,” “Election materials were not distributed in all wards across eighteen LGAs in Ondo State.”
Oke said the declaration of victory to Aiyedatiwa was a mirage aimed at deceiving party members.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the Director-General for Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation in Ondo Central Senatorial District, Adeniran Oyebade, said the protest was against a stolen mandate.
He said: “It was a broad-day light robbery, a monumental disaster. APC delegated some people to Ondo State to conduct the primary.
“That was never done. They remained in Akure and started writing results.
“They wrote the results of 203 wards across Ondo, taking the mandate of the people into their own hands.
“At the end of the day, we started seeing different results flying around, stating one particular candidate won the election. But that never happened.”
Rerun, a mirage, says Oke
Oke described the rescheduled primary in 13 Wards of the Okitipupa Local Government area as a mirage aimed at deceiving the party faithful.
The Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation said in a statement by its Spokesperson, Mr Ojo Oyewamide, that the rerun was to give an impression that the committee conducted a credible primary that led to the Aiyedatiwa victory.
The statement reads: “How can a primary election that did not take place anywhere in the state be rescheduled in one of the 18 local government areas (Okitipupa)?
“We consider this as a shameful attempt to give the sham a stamp of credibility.
“We also see it as an insult to the sensibilities and religion of the people of Okitipupa Local Government Area to slate an election for noon on Sunday.
“The local government area is predominantly populated by Christians and they will be in church at the time the exercise will be taking place.
“We believe that this is an unthinking plan to disenfranchise members of our party in the area.”
It was a show of shame, says Akinterinwa
The Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation described the primary as a show of shame.
Its spokesman Segun Ajiboye reactig to the Aiyedatiwa victory, said in a statement that no election was held in the state by the Governor Usman Ododo-led primary election committee.
The statement reads: “Without any fear of contradiction, we state here that no election was held in any part of Ondo State on Saturday to elect the candidate of the APC.
“It is on record with incontrovertible evidence that nothing in the semblance of a primary election was held in all the 203 wards in Ondo State.
“At best, what can be said to have happened was that the committee chairman, Gov. Ododo, arrived in the state about 8 am on Saturday to write the result of an election that was never conducted.
“Saturday’s election presented our dear party with a rare opportunity to endear itself to the people of the state.
“All that was needed was for us to organise an election that would be hailed by all, even the opposition.
“But we bungled the opportunity with the sham organised by the electoral committee.
“It was not surprising that what Gov. Ododo did on Saturday was far distant from what was promised.
“However, what was surprising was the audacity and the indecent manner the election committee actualised its plot, which was scripted and directed to favour a particular candidate.”
Meanwhile, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim who was one of the most loudest voices during the campaign has yet to formally react to the Aiyedatiwa victory.
GWG.ng reports that ahead of the primary that the camp of the Ondo South senator had boasted that he was the best claiming intellectual, financial and political prowess over his rivals.
Jimoh Ibrahim’s Senior Legislative Aide, Yemi Akintomide was quoted as saying:
“His success story in both local and international business, Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, has an edge over and above his opponents at the poll as a bold and well read Law Graduate from the foremost Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife. Masters degree from both Universities of Oxford and Harvard and doctorate degree in Business from University of Cambridge, with many executive programmes completed from Oxford University.
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