In Akure, Ondo State, some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took to the streets on Sunday to protest what they perceived as irregularities and biased conduct during the ward primaries held across the state on Saturday.
The primary elections, aimed at selecting the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the November 16, 2024, election, were fraught with issues, including the absence of election materials.
Protesters demanded the annulment of the ward primaries and voiced their grievances at the APC state secretariat in Akure, citing alleged irregularities in the conduct of the primaries across the state’s 203 wards.
Many of the protesters were supporters of Olushola Oke, a gubernatorial aspirant, and they carried placards urging the national secretariat to remove the chairman of the primary election committee, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo.
They criticized the process as unfair and urged the national secretariat to intervene to prevent further crisis within the party.
Some protesters claimed that no ward primaries were conducted, alleging that the guidelines set by the national secretariat were not followed, as the committee failed to distribute materials to any wards.
Party members warned of potential repercussions if an unpopular candidate is imposed on them, fearing it could jeopardize the party’s chances in the gubernatorial election.
Meanwhile, concerns were raised by two aspirants and agents of other contestants regarding the conduct of the primary, alleging plans to favor certain aspirants and citing delays in material distribution.
Olugbenga Edema, one of the aspirants, called for an investigation into the process, while Rotimi Williams, an agent of Oke, echoed similar sentiments.
Shola Ajisafe, the agent of Adewale Akinterinwa, supported the claims of Edema and Williams, stating that no materials were distributed to voters in Ondo North and accusing Governor Ododo of bias towards a particular candidate.
