Three aspirants have petitioned the Appeal Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) set up by the national leadership of the party for the governorship primary in Ondo State.
The aspirants include former Finance Commissioner, Wale Akinterinwa, a serving House of Representatives member, Hon. Jimi Odimayo and Barrister Gbenga Edema.
Also the Appeal Committee has confirmed that it has received the petitions from the aggrieved aspirants.
However, the aspirants, in their petitions, asked the national leadership of the party to urgently cancel the primary election and order rerun of the election.
But, the head of the five-member Primary Election Appeal Committee, former Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar (SAN), informed that the committee was set up to ensure transparency and integrity of the primary election.
Speaking at a press conference in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Abubakar explained that the petitions were received from Olugbenga Edema, Jimi Odimayo and Wale Akinterinwa.
Flanked by other members of the Appeal Committee, Abubakar noted that the three aggrieved aspirants complained that the primary did not hold across the 203 electoral wards in the state and that the process was marred by irregularities.
His words: “So far, we have received three petitions; one from Olugbenga Edema, Omoba Jimmy Odimayo and the last one from Adewale Akinterinwa after the conclusion of the primary and declaration of the candidate of the party.
“The situation I met on ground was an inconclusive election that needed to be repeated in one local government. They were able to repeat the election in that local government and by early this morning, they were able to declare the results of the primary.”
He said the committee would be expecting more petitions from any other aggrieved aspirants between Monday and Tuesday afternoon.
According to him, the secretary of the committee, Obiocha Israel, would be available at the temporary office in Akure within two days to receive the petition.
“The committee will be here till on Tuesday to collect whatever complaints that may be. Let me use this opportunity to assure members of our party that this committee intends to be thorough and transparent in treating any complaint that we will receive.
“I can assure you that within a space of a few days, we will consider the total number of petitions we received and render a report to the national headquarters of our party before the party takes a final decision on the issue of the primary.
“I am calling on all the aspirants that have complaints) to please, feel free to forward it to us. We have since established our office at the headquarters of the party for the collection of this appeal if there are.”
Abubakar, who promised to be fair in treating the petitions, noted that his team would only work with facts and figures brought before it by the aggrieved aspirants.
