Ondo APC primary: Rerun, a mirage to deceive members — aspirant

Chief Olusola Oke, an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ondo State, has described the rescheduled primary in 13 Wards of Okitipupa Local Government area as a mirage aimed at deceiving party faithful.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Gov. Usman Ododo-led Governorship Primary Election Committee had declared the Saturday’s exercise inconclusive.

The Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation in a statement by its Spokesperson, Mr Ojo Oyewamide, on Sunday in Akure said that the rerun was to give an impression that the committee conducted a credible governorship primary in the state on Saturday.

“This attempt is the purported rescheduling of the exercise in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state. Our question is that how can a primary election that did not take place anywhere in the state be rescheduled in one of the 18 local government areas?

“We consider this as a shameful attempt to give the sham a stamp of credibility. We also see it as an insult to the sensibilities and religion of the people of Okitipupa Local Government Area to slate an election for 12 noon on Sunday.

“The local government area is predominantly populated by Christians and they will be in Church at the time the exercise will be taking place. It is our belief that this is an unthinking plan to disenfranchise members of our party in the area,” he said.

Oyewamide described the Saturday’s primary of the party as a mockery of democracy.

“We insist that what happened in Ondo State yesterday(Saturday) was a disheartening mockery of democracy.

“As a result, our party has become a booth of joke in the hands of the opposition parties and the people of the state.

“We will like to categorically state that the Kogi governor cannot impose a candidate on our party members through a shambolic exercise. It is unacceptable to us,” he stated. (NAN)