April 22, (THEWILL)- Violence, result sheets snatching, vote-buying and poor circulation of election materials featured heavily in the primary election to elect the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the November 16,2024 governorship election in Ondo State.
The primary election, which started last Saturday, continued on Sunday amid violence in many of the 203 wards with 171,922 accredited members in the 18 local government areas of the state.
Some of the 16 aspirants condemned the exercise for the shoddy manner with which materials were distributed and the state-sponsored violence unleashed on rival contestants and journalists covering the exercise.
Some prominent Nigerians, such as Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, Olugbenga Edema, Wale Akinterinwa and Prof Dayo Faduyile, have kicked against the conduct of the election. Edema even called for its cancellation.
Speaking on Saturday in Okitipupa and Ilutitun, the aspirants said that inadequate preparation marred the APC primary, which did not hold in some wards.
In the election, in which Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was one of the 16 aspirants jostling to get the party’s ticket, nothing was spared to secure the ticket.
One of the aspirants, Chief Ife Oyedele, said the election process was marred by pockets of violence at some voting centres across the state.
Oyedele, who spoke in Okitipupa, said that violence recorded during the primary was worrisome and a shame to the party.
“I am surprised at the process. The APC is supposed to set example for other parties, but look at what happened. This is totally condemnable,” Oyedele said.
Also, Princess Oladuni Odu, a chieftain of APC, condemned the election process over the violence recorded and late arrival of election materials and officials in some wards.
Odu, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government, also chided the lackadaisical behaviour of some officials superintending the election in some wards.
“Our people here in Okitipupa Ward 2 were prepared for the election, but there was another accreditation list brought as against the party’s list.
“Some people in government believe that they can use their power to force themselves to return to power through the back door. We will not accept it,” she said.
According to Odu, the primary election did not hold and another date should be picked because this was not done properly.
Another APC aspirant, Major-Gen. Olamide Ohunyeye (retd.), who spoke in Ilutitun Ward 1, said that members of the APC committee and INEC officials were not seen at any of the three wards in Ilutitun.
Also, the Olamide Ohunyeye Campaign Organisation said that no election was conducted in Ilutitun. The Director-General of the organisation, Dr Deji Akinwalere, said, “Our people have been here since morning, but neither the APC committee, the electoral officials nor the materials have arrived.
“We cannot say there was an election because it did not even hold at any of the three wards of Ilutitun 1, 2 and 3.
“So, this process is totally condemnable as far as I am concerned”.
A clear confirmation of these shortcomings was the beating that the Commissioner for Health, Dr Banjo Ajaka, received in the hands of voters
According to an eyewitness: “Ajaka, the Commissioner for Health, received a general beating in his home town as his name was mentioned by the INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) officer and some INEC officials together with the (Governor Lucky) Aiyedatiwa camp, which compromised the system by removing result sheets from the materials given to them.
He confirmed the attack on him, saying that his attackers wrongly believed he held the results sheets.
In another ugly incident, The Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, on Saturday, assaulted Mr Tayo Ikujuni, an Assistant Deputy Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), during the conduct of the primary election at Ward 9, Eji-Oba High School, Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
Yusuf-Ogunleye, who confirmed that he harassed Ikujuni and collected his cell phone and threw it away, said “the journalist failed to produce his identity card when asked”.
Recalling the ordeal, however, Ikujuni said that the commissioner ordered some of his political thugs to seize his Samsung tablet.
“Trouble started about 11.45 a.m. when I inquired if the electoral materials had arrived, since they had started counting.
“Immediately, Yusuf-Ogunleye shouted, “Who are you? You’re a useless journalist. You’re a stupid journalist. Go away from here.
“He collected my Tecno phone, damaged my Samsung tablet and my wristwatch.
“It was the quick intervention of some party chieftains and security personnel that rescued me from the commissioner’s stern-looking thugs,” Ikujuni said.
Reacting, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, decried the attack and physical assault on Ikujuni by the commissioner and directed media houses and professionals in Ondo State to halt the coverage of Yusuf-Ogunleye’s official activities at the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development.
The spokesperson of the Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation, Ojo Oyewamide, said, “We like to state, very categorically, that no primary election was conducted by the APC in Ondo State today, Saturday, 20, 2024. What happened was shameful and it constituted a serious dent on the image of our dear party.
“We expected that a decent nomination exercise, characterised by peace, freedom of our members to make their choices and fairness, would be conducted. We waited patiently for it, but what we got was heart-rendng.”
Oyewamide said that virtually all the guidelines put in place to ensure a smooth conduct of the nomination exercise, reinforced by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who stood in for Governor Usman Ododo at the stakeholders’ engagement held on Friday April 19, 2024, were violated by the election committee.
“We appeal to all our supporters across the 18 local government areas of the state to remain peaceful and calm as we wait further briefing from our members across the state and our principal,” he said.
Meanwhile, there is an indication that Governor Aiyedatiwa is in early lead in 15 of the 18 local government areas and he may emerge victorious in the primary election.
About the Author
Amos Esele is the Deputy Editor of THEWILL Newspaper. He has over two decades of experience on the job.
