Aggrieved aspirants from the All Progressives Congress who contested for the party’s ticket in the upcoming Ondo State governorship election have resolved to seek legal redress.
They are considering legal action against the committee led by Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, which conducted the primary election. They allege that the entire exercise was a ‘sham’.
The APC conducted its primary election on April 20 ahead of the November 16, 2024, governorship election in Ondo State. The exercise, which declared the incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the winner, was shrouded in controversies as most aspirants alleged irregularities in the poll.
While some aspirants claimed that the APC primary election did not follow the party’s procedure, others outrightly stated that there was no election at all.
During the election, aspirant Mr. Gbenga Edema alleged that the Kogi State governor, Ododo, did not follow the due process laid down by the national leadership of the party. He criticized the delay in the release of electoral materials meant for the primary, stating that the process did not adhere to the resolution made during a stakeholders’ meeting prior to the election.
Up to six aspirants, including Senator Jimoh Ibrahim representing Ondo South, Olusola Oke, Folakemi Omogoroye, Olugbenga Edema, Jimi Odimayo, and Wale Akinterinwa, subsequently filed petitions challenging Aiyedatiwa’s victory. They insisted that the election must be cancelled, arguing that Ododo was not fit to chair the committee.
Efforts by the national chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the National Working Committee of the party to broker peace between Governor Aiyedatiwa and the aggrieved aspirants failed during a closed-door meeting last week. The aspirants refused to withdraw their petitions, maintaining that no primary election was conducted in the state on April 20.
A source familiar with the developments revealed that at least three of the aspirants have resolved to seek legal redress. They alleged that the Ododo-led committee conducted the primary election in a hotel, and the “winner was known even before the election” began.
Speaking with Daily Post, one of the aggrieved aspirants, Hon Olugbenga Edema, insisted that Aiyedatiwa was illegally declared the winner of the election. He stated that they had complained to the national chairman and the National Working Committee of the party, but their concerns were not addressed.
Regarding their next line of action, Olugbenga said they were waiting for the outcome of the committee set up to look into their appeal. He emphasized the need for internal conflict resolution mechanisms within the party.
On the issue of alleged certificate forgery, Olugbenga stated that they had raised the issue before the party’s screening committee. If the party dismisses their appeal, they would seek legal recourse.
Meanwhile, some aggrieved members of the party from Ondo State, under the aegis of the Ondo APC youths, protested the outcome of the election at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja. They demanded the cancellation of the election.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, however, defended the legitimacy of his emergence as the flagbearer of the APC in the November governorship election. He insisted that the process was free and fair and consistently dismissed the certificate forgery allegation against him.
