James Sowole in Akure
One of the aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the primary election in Ondo State, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, wednesday said the alleged error on the delegates’ list used for the last Saturday’s primary had nothing to do with the victory of the winner of the election.
Abayomi in an interview insisted that the primary was free, fair and transparent, stating that Akeredolu deserved the victory.
The APC aspirant said if there was a problem with the delegates’ list, it must have been caused by the party at the state level.
“If there is a problem with the delegates’ list, it has absolutely nothing to do with the victory of Akeredolu. It is possible that there is a problem with the list but that problem is unintended. It is not by Akeredolu.
“But if it is intended it will be the party itself in Ondo State because the party structure in Ondo State was not favourably disposed to Akeredolu and they already had their own candidate.
“My view is that providence appeared to have worked against the intention of the party in Ondo State because they intended to favour certain aspirant,” Abayomi stated.
However, Abayomi noted that Oke had a right of appeal which he could exercise but said his claim on the delegates’ lists was unjustifiable and unnecessary.
He said: “Oke’s case has absolutely no effect on the right of Akeredolu to claim the deserving victory. It is wrong and inappropriate to raise an issue of delegates’ lists against the victory of Akeredolu.”
A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, emerged the winner of the primary held on Saturday in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Not satisfied with the result of the primary, two of the aspirants, Chief Olusola Oke and Dr. Segun Abraham as well as some other leaders of the party rejected the result on the grounds that the delegates’ list used for the exercise was allegedly doctored.
