Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been declared the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election and the party’s candidate for the upcoming governorship election in Ondo State.
The election, which was held on Saturday, saw Aiyedatiwa amass a total of 48,569 votes, followed by Mayowa Akinfolarin with 15,343 votes and Olusola Oke with 14,865 votes, News About Nigeria reports.
The Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, announced the winner in the early hours of Monday, praising the electoral process as “smooth” with only minor issues recorded.
However, the election was not without its challenges, as incidents of violence marred the process in Ifedore, leading to the cancellation of results in the area.
The election has been marred by controversy, with several contestants alleging widespread irregularities and calling for the cancellation of the exercise.
Folakemi Omogoroye, a female aspirant, described the process as a “complete rape on democracy” and threatened legal action if her demand for a fresh and transparent election is not met.
“I am not going to accept it, and now, I am calling for cancellation and if this is not done, maybe we’ll meet in the court,” she said
Party faithful also took to the streets of Akure to protest the outcome, demanding the annulment of the exercise and the removal of Ododo as committee chair.
The protesters alleged that the guidelines from the national secretariat were not followed, and materials were not distributed to wards, claiming that the process was a “daylight robbery.”
The protesters, who gathered at the APC state secretariat in Akure, warned of dire consequences if an unpopular candidate is imposed on them, stating that it could affect the party’s chances in the governorship election.
They urged the national secretariat to intervene and ensure a free and fair election.
Aiyedatiwa who won the election, lost out in Ilaje Local Government Area to third-placed Oke. However, he coasted to victory in 16 out of 18 local government areas. In Ifedore local government area, the process was cancelled due to incident of violence.
Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the seventh civilian governor of Ondo State in December 2023 following the death of Rotimi Akeredolu.
Akeredolu died at age 67 on Wednesday after a long battle with leukaemia, a cancer of the blood.
