The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in Ondo state over the recent conduct of the governorship primary election is not yet over and may engulf the party if certain steps are not taken to handle the matter with utmost caution as an opposition party make take over the state in the next governorship election.
Meanwhile, all the 15 aspirants, except Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who were summoned to Abuja by the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, are calling for the outright cancellation of the primary election and set a new date for a fresh one, alleging irregularities and discrepancies. Already, as at press time, about eight aspirants have petitioned the Appeal Committee set up by the party, they include amongst others :- Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim, Wale Akinteriwa, Olugbenga Edema, Folakemi omogoroye, Jimi Odumayo.
They insist, elections were not held in the 203 wards and 18 LGAs of the state. They also allege that there were no voting materials, no presence of electioral officers to conduct the primary election and no presence of the Independent Electoral Commission ( INEC), whose statutory duty is to observe the conduct of the election.
One of the aspirants, Wale Akinterinwa, accused Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State and Chairman of the party’s primary election committee of writing results. Hon. Akinterinwa described the APC’s primary election in the state as a show of shame. The aspirant’s stance was contained in a statement signed by his campaign organisation spokesperson, Mr Segun Ajiboye “It is on record with incontrovertible evidence that nothing in the semblance of a primary election was held in all the 203 wards in Ondo state.
In the same vien, demonstrators on Thursday morning, 25th April, 2024, led by Mohammed Mahmoud Saba stormed the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), to demand for the resignation of the National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje following his recent suspension by his ward Executives over allegations of bribery and corruption by the Kano state Government.
One of the demonstrstors, Mohammed Adamu who spoke to newsmen said, Ganduje is not the National Chairman of APC as pronounced by the Court and warned that his interference with the party activities, including the recent Ondo governorship primary election is illegal and cannot stand the test of legal fireworks, warning that APC, even if it wins Ondo governorship, may quit the stage for another party.
Recall that a Kano State High Court had granted an ex parte order suspending the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, from the party. The order, issued by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba also barred Ganduje from presiding over any activity of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
The decision stemmed from an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad, representing members of the executive committee of APC in Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa local government area of Kano State.
The Ward Exco members were part of a group of nine ward executives who earlier announced Ganduje’s suspension from the party. The court, therefore, gave an interim injunction directing all parties involved, including the APC, its NWC, Kano State Working Committee of the party, and Ganduje himself, to maintain the status quo as of April 15, 2024, pending a full hearing on the matter set for April 30.
Justice Na’abba further ordered the Kano State Working Committee of the APC to refrain from interfering with the decision of the Ganduje Ward executives of the party, which was endorsed by a two-third majority as stipulated by the party’s constitution.
About The Author
