Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akure, the Ondo State capital, took to the streets on Sunday to protest what they termed irregularities and biased conduct of the ward primaries across the state on Saturday.
The ward primaries meant to produce the governorship candidate of the party for the November 16, 2024 governorship election in the state has been marred with non-availability of election materials.
The protesters called for the cancellation of the ward primaries.
The protesters stormed the APC state secretariat in Akure to display their displeasure to the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the ward primaries across the 203 wards of the state.
Most of them are supporters of one of the aspirants, Olushola Oke, and they carried different placards calling on the national secretariat to remove the chairman of the primary election committee and Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo.
They described the process as a daylight robbery and urged the national secretariat of the APC not to allow the state to be embroiled in crisis.
One of the protesters claimed no ward primaries were held, insisting that the guidelines given by the national secretariat of the party were not followed as the committee did not distribute materials to any wards.
The party members warned of likely consequences if an unpopular candidate is imposed on them as it could affect the chances of the party in the governorship election.
Ododo had on Saturday announced that polls would be conducted in all 13 wards of Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state by noon on Sunday.
“Having received reports of the primary election from the 203 wards in the 18 local governments of Ondo State, the primary election committee has decided that election will be conducted in all the 13 Wards of Okitipupa local government with total validated registered members of 9,515, because of validated reports that the exercise did not hold in the local government due to late arrival of materials and personnel as a result of logistics challenges.
“Election in Okitipupa local government shall be conducted 12 noon on Sunday 21st April 2024. The final collation of the results will be done thereafter,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, two aspirants and agents of two other contestants raised concerns about the conduct of the primary.
They alleged that based on the conduct of the exercise, plans were made to favour certain aspirants.
Olugbenga Edema, who is one of the 16 aspirants in the race for the APC ticket, decried delays in the distribution of materials and called on the party to investigate the process.
Rotimi Williams, the agent of Oke, took a similar position.
Shola Ajisafe, the agent of Adewale Akinterinwa, backed the narrative by Edema and Willams.
“My people have been calling me. No material has been distributed to them,” Ajisafe who is from Ondo North said, accusing Governor Ododo of working in favour of a candidate. (Channelstv)
Ameh David
September 4, 2022 at 8:42 pm
Ugochukwu Agballah is really working hard to make sure that he delivers Enugu state, All these men going to NWC for removal of Ebeanaeje can’t even go to their ward to hold party meeting, they are APC in Abuja and PDP in Enugu … I strongly believe in Ebeanaeje Ugochukwu Agballah, with him Enugu shall rise again. Ugochukwu Agballah remains the state chairman, he is a man for everyone
Abubakar Hadi Ikechukwu
September 4, 2022 at 8:46 pm
All these food is ready politicians should live us and our chairman alone. We have focus, we have target, our target is to win election and we disagree to be distracted
Ebus
September 4, 2022 at 9:10 pm
Those so called stakeholders are only interested in money that will be coming to Enugu for Tinubu’s Campaign. Stakeholders that don’t have a stake in their polling units. Non of them has ever won in his unit.
Mad people everywhere!
Njeze Charles Nwabueze
September 5, 2022 at 5:24 am
Please, these agitators are not stakeholders of APC, as stakeholders they are supposed to be known as men who support the party starting from their pulling units, wards, L.G.As and then the state and if possible the national level. I bet with my inheritance, these men are not known in their wards. These men are just after the Tinubu Campaign funds, which Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah told them that it’s not business as usual, you must work before you reap, there is no way they can remove the capacity chairman because they are not even members of APC. They were planted by the PDP moles, to cause problem among the people of APC, I pity who ever stands with them. Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah is unstoppable, he has been carrying out his duties So profoundly!!! We the known members of APC Love Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah and he remains the chairman of APC Enugu State.
Blessing Odenigbo
September 5, 2022 at 6:56 am
Which stakeholders?. They’re retired politicians, sons of Eli by names Hophnis and phinehases. Our capacity state chairman Hon Chief Barr Ugo Agballah is a goal, he brought light, progress and libration in Enugu State APC and with him lion building is our destination. On Sunday 4 September, all APC members in Enugu State, State executives, local government executives and ward executive passed vote of confidence on him as the best APC State chairman ever.That he should continue his good work as our capacity state chairman. No body will remove or try to remove him. The so called retired stakeholders that can not win their polling unit, want the campaign money that Tinubu is about to bring. That is why they want our capacity state chairman to be removed, because they feels that he will be an obstacle for them. Our gubernatorial candidate chief Uche Nnaji Nwakaibie, said that he doesn’t want any money from Tinubu for campaign, that he is equal to the task. Means he can do the whole campaign with his money to avoid problems. Then after elections that Tinubu will balance him. Lion building is our assurance with Barr Ugoo Agballa, chief Uche Nnaji and Barr George Ogara in Jesus Name.