By Lanre Oloyede
Fresh details have been unnerved as to why Governor of Kogi state and chairman of the Ondo state APC governorship primary election committee, Usman Ododo, declared the exercise inconclusive.
The primaries, held across 203 wards in the 18 local government areas of the state, witnessed some disruptions in parts of the state.
Nigerian Pilot reports that Ododo said elections will continue in Okitipupa on Sunday, April 21, the area where violence was reported to have disrupted the process.
This followed the receipt of reports of its primary election from the 203 wards in 18 local government areas (LGAs) of the southwest state.
In a statement signed by the Governor of Kogi state and chairman of the Ondo state APC governorship primary election committee, Usman Ododo, the exercise was not held in the affected local government due to late arrival of materials and personnel as a result of logistics challenges.
Ododo said the primary election will now be held in all 13 wards of Okitipupa LGA with a total validated registered members of 9,515 from “noon on Sunday, 21st April 2024” after which “the final collation of the results will be done” and a winner announced.
The announcement comes amid protests by some of the governorship hopefuls over the conduct of the election.
While some have demanded the cancellation of the election, others alleged irregularities in the process.
Olugbenga Edema, Olusola Oke, Jimi Odimayo, Wale Akinterinwa, and Dayo Faduyile are among the governorship hopefuls who have kicked against the conduct of the exercise.
Despite the criticism and controversies surrounding the primary election, the Kogi state governor said the process was transparent.
Nigerian Pilot earlier reported that the APC governorship primary election at Ugbo Ward 3 in Ilaje LGA in Ondo turned violent on Saturday, April 20. This was as Banji Ajaka, the state’s commissioner for health, was beaten by some angry members of the APC at the ward for allegedly hiding the result sheet.
