Reactions have been following the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress on Saturday as two candidates, Mr Wale Akinterinwa and Chief Olusola Oke, have criticized the election process on Sunday.
The primaries took place in 18 local government areas of the state and on Sunday the head of the party’s organizing committee and Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, declared it inconclusive.
Saturday’s activity was reportedly marked by controversy as some candidates called for its cancellation.
In a statement released by Mr Segun Ajiboye, spokesman for the Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organization, the organization called the activity a disgrace, saying the Ododo-led committee did not perform well in conducting the shadow poll.
The statement said, ”With no doubt, we declare here that no election took place in any part of Ondo State on Saturday to choose the APC candidate.
“There is undeniable evidence that no primary election took place in all the 203 wards in Ondo State.
“At best, it can be said that the committee chairman, Governor Ododo, arrived in the state at about 8am on Saturday to write the result of an election that never happened.
“Saturday’s election presented our party with a rare chance to endear itself to the people of the state. All that was needed was for us to organize an election that would be praised by everyone, even the opposition. But we wasted the chance with the fake organization by the electoral committee.
“The people have eyes, and they can see. But on Saturday, they did not see any part of the state where electoral committee members counted the votes as expected. Rather, what they saw was a crowd of our enthusiastic supporters who stood in the sun for several hours waiting for the missing electoral officers to show up. But we disappointed their hopes and expectations of a strong democratic involvement.”
In the same way, the Olusola Oke Campaign Organization, in a statement issued by its spokesman, Mr Ojo Oyewamide, on Sunday, said the primary was a ridicule of democracy.
“We insist that what happened in Ondo State yesterday (Saturday) was a disheartening ridicule of democracy. As a result, our party has become a butt of jokes in the hands of the opposition parties and the people of the state.
“We would like to clearly state that the Kogi Governor cannot force a candidate on our party members through a chaotic exercise. It is unacceptable to us,” the statement read.
The state is waiting for the committee to compile and announce the results of the primary today.
