Two more aspirants have filed petitions with the All Progressives Congress (APC) Appeal Committee regarding the governorship primary election held last Saturday, which resulted in Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s victory.
The two new petitioners are Mrs Folakemi Omogoroye and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.
Three aspiransts, Mr Wale Akinterinwa, Hon. Jimi Odimayo and Hon. Gbenga Edema had earlier submitted their petitions to the committee headed by the former governor of Bauchi State, Abubakar Muhammed.
Both Ibrahim and Omogoroye characterised the process as disappointing, a mockery of democracy, and a clear violation of democratic values.
Mrs. Omogoroye’s petition criticised the process, claiming that the primary was marred by irregularities and did not meet acceptable standards.
Omogoroye is demanding that the election be declared null and void, and that the committee chairman order a new election due to the compromised nature of the entire process.
According to her, “I am urging you to cancel the election and order a new election in which all of the established guidelines for a credible election will be followed, and a level playing field will be assured and ensured for all participants in the election.
Anything less would be an open endorsement of Saturday’s robbery by our party’s leadership.
In Senator Ibrahim’s petition, hinged his appeal for the cancellation of the election on four grounds, which include non-compliance with the rules, non-provision of electoral materials, non-accreditation of agents, and gross misconduct.
His petition read: “This is an appeal to your committee to cancel the primary election held in Ondo state on April 20, 2024, on the grounds that there was no election in the 203 wards, as evidenced by the many petitions before your committee, which are captured on the ground below.
“Ground one is noncompliance with your rules. I paid N 100 million for the validation of over 40 thousand party members, and those members were not allowed to be revalidated throughout Ondo State because no voter registers were made available in the wards where members could be validated.
“On ground two, provide electoral materials. There were no electoral materials provided for the election, and local government electoral officials were kept in the hotel for several hours during the election, receiving only result sheets. Mr. Lucky Ayedatiwa, one of the aspirants, provided the ward electoral officers.
“Ground three: failure to accredit agents. My agents were not accredited in all the wards, and they did not sign election result sheets since none was made available to them.
“The fourth ground is on gross misconduct. I received in my house in the village, Igbotako at 7pm on the day of the election, the local government returning officer and members of his committee.
They informed me that they are in my house to capture my vote but I sent them away since my house is not a polling venue. The returning officer said he was instructed from above.
“Based on the four grounds stated above, the election should be canceled and re-conducted immediately.”
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