An aggrieved aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in the primary election for the Akoko Northeast/ Northwest federal constituency of Ondo, Hon Olugbenga Araoyinbo, has rejected the outcome of the primary ele
Araoyinbo who lost to Ifeoluwa Ehindero in the primary held at Victory College, Ikare Akoko, petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the outcome of the primary, saying the conduct of the election does not comply with the party’s regulation.
He also maintained that the election did not reflect the wish of the members of the party at the constituency, and said the election was fraught with irregularities.
Displeased by the outcome of the primary, Araoyinbo called for the cancellation of the primary election, said “there was no delegate congress in the two local governments before the primary election in accordance to the guideline of the party that was sent out by the national organ of the party before the primary.
“That over 90 genuine, committed, and faithful party members from across the 23 electoral wards who paid for and collected forms to participate in the delegate congress which was scheduled for the 5th of January 2024 for the primary election, we’re excluded as the delegate congress did not hold as scheduled.
“But instead, fake and unknown persons were injected into a fake delegate list which was not even made available to the aspirants before the time scheduled for the primary election and even till I write this letter.
“That if these 90 party members who collected forms to participate as delegates in the primary election, which never held, had been made to participate, they would have voted for me and I would have won as they are all my supporters.”
Consequently, Araoyinbo said since 90 out of his supporters were excluded from the primary election due to non-holding of election of delegates and smuggling of unknown persons into the so-called delegate list, he should be declared as the winner of the primary election.
Alternatively, he said holding a fresh primary election starting with the conduct of delegate congress in compliance with the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, the APC guideline, and the timetable for the election is the only panacea to the crisis over the election.
Araoyinbo said the party should listen to his plea to prevent suit in law court to challenge the nomination of Ehindero as the candidate which may affect the chances of the party in the election.
Ifeoluwa Ehindero was declared as the candidate of the party for the bye-election fixed for February 3 to replace the Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo at the National Assembly having polled 105 votes out of the 106 accredited for the party primary.