The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has dismissed the notion that the governorship primary election did not occur in the state, labeling such claims as “shocking and not credible.”
The party reacted to a media report which quoted a report of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) claiming that there was no election during the primary in some wards in the state.
The party, in a statement issued by the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaiye on Monday, maintained that the election was held in all the Local Government Areas of the state except in Ifedore and Ilaje LGs.
“For the records, elections took place in all the 18 Local Government Areas in the state. There were agitations in the Ifedore and Ilaje Local Government areas. While the results in the entire Ifedore Local Government were cancelled, that of Ilaje affected about four wards, which were also cancelled.
“The essence of such cancellations was to emphasise the validity of the entire process and lend credence to fairness. The voting strength of our members in the affected areas were not substantial enough to dent the credibility of the process, nor affect the margin with which the candidate emerged.
“The party, therefore, doubts the authenticity of the report, credited to an agent of the INEC. The state chapter cautions against needless desperation on the part of some members who have vowed “to do everything possible to discredit the process,” the statement added.
The statement urged party supporters to disregard the purported report and concentrate on the larger goal of securing victory in the governorship election to maintain APC’s hold in the State.
