Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor of Ondo State, has emerged victorious in the APC ward primary, securing the party’s candidacy for the upcoming governorship election in the state.
Aiyedatiwa garnered a significant lead with 48,569 votes, surpassing his closest rivals, Mayowa Akinfolarin and Olusola Oke, who garnered 15,343 and 14,865 votes respectively.
Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, declared Aiyedatiwa the winner, affirming the smooth conduct of the electoral process.
“I can confirm that the direct mode of primary election adopted in the 2024 Ondo state governorship primary elections held in all 203 electoral wards in all the 18 LGAs in Ondo state,” Ododo stated.
Despite Aiyedatiwa’s victory, incidents of violence marred the election in Ifedore, resulting in the cancellation of results.
Several contestants, including Folakemi Omogoroye, raised concerns over the fairness of the process, denouncing it as a “complete rape on democracy” and demanding its cancellation.
Protests erupted in Akure, with disgruntled party members calling for the annulment of the exercise and the removal of Ododo as the committee chair, alleging irregularities and failure to adhere to party guidelines.
The protesters warned against imposing an unpopular candidate, stressing its potential adverse impact on the party’s prospects in the governorship election.
