Ondo APC rejects INEC’S report on guber primary

THE All Progressives Congress ( APC), Ondo State chapter, has dismissed the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) that the primary of the party held on April 20, 2024, was marred with irregularities.

The party, which described the report as shocking, urged members of the party in the state not to be wary but to focus on the forthcoming governorship election.

In the report, submitted by some of the officials of the electoral body who monitored the shadow election in various 203 political wards of the state, it was said that there were cases of irregularities in some parts of the state, citing non- arrival of electoral materials and lack of proper collation of results.

In the Certified True Copy submitted to the Resident Electoral Commissioner ( REC) in the state and sighted by The Guardian, over 10 of the INEC electoral officers in the 18 local councils stated that the election did not take place in their respective locations.

Meanwhile, in a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Alex Kalejaye, some members of the party were accused of plotting to discredit the process.

He said: "For the record, elections took place in all the 18 local councils of the state. There were agitations in Ifedore and Ilaje local councils. While the results for the entire Ifedore council were cancelled, those for Ilaje affected about four wards, which were also cancelled. "The essence of such cancellations was to emphasise the validity of the entire process and lend credence to fairness.

"The voting strength of our members in the affected areas was not substantial enough to dent the credibility of the process or affect the margin with which the candidate emerged.

"The party, therefore, doubts the authenticity of the report credited to an agent of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC).

"The state chapter cautions against needless desperation by some members, who vowed ‘ to do everything possible to discredit the process.’ "The party urged its teeming supporters to discountenance the spurious report and focus on the bigger task ahead: to win the governorship election and retain the Sunshine State for APC."

Former National Deputy Chairman ( South) of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP), Bode George ( left); Ondo State PDP’S governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke; PDP’S National Deputy Chairman ( South), Taofeek Arapaja; Eyitayo Jegede, and others during the Ondo State critical stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan… yesterday.