Fidelis David in Akure
There seems to be no end in sight to the controversy trailing the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primaries in Ondo State as an aspirant for Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency, Monday Akinyomi, declared that what took place on May 16 could not be described as an election, insisting that the exercise should be cancelled and conducted afresh.
Addressing journalists in Akure yesterday, Akinyomi said his greatest concern was not personal ambition but what he described as a dangerous precedent capable of undermining democratic values within the ruling party ahead of the general elections.
“What I witnessed that day was nothing to write home about. To put it straight, there were no elections. If someone tells you we had an election on that day, maybe that person is living on another planet,” he said.
The aspirant alleged that party members and contestants were left confused as there was no clearly designated venue for the exercise, claiming that activities simultaneously took place at different locations without the presence of officials expected to supervise the process.
“We didn’t know where the election would be held. I went to the place we thought would serve as the collation centre, but there was no presence of INEC officials, no party officials from Abuja or Akure. People just gathered there and within a short time, winners were being declared,” he stated.
Akinyomi further questioned the authenticity of the results eventually circulated, saying he only became aware of the outcome through social media reports.
“There were no winners announced where we were. Later, we started seeing figures on Facebook and other social media platforms. They even said I came second in an election I never participated in. I don’t know who counted the votes or where the votes came from,” he added.
The APC aspirant disclosed that he had formally petitioned the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), alleging that attempts to submit complaints to the appeal committee in Ondo State were unsuccessful because its members could not be located at the announced venues.
While stopping short of demanding that any particular aspirant be declared winner, Akinyomi said his only request was the cancellation of the exercise and the conduct of a transparent primary election.
“I am not asking that anybody should be declared winner because there was no election. My demand is simple: cancel the process and conduct a proper election where everybody can participate on a level playing field,” he said.
According to him, aspirants who paid N10 million for nomination forms deserved a credible process and not what he described as a “kangaroo election” allegedly concluded in less than 10 minutes.
He warned that sidelining aspirants and their supporters could weaken the party’s cohesion ahead of the general election, stressing that aggrieved members should be given a sense of belonging through a fresh and credible process.
“This is the time to unite the party. If over 20 aspirants across the state feel disenfranchised, then the party is damaging itself. The leadership should bring everybody together and fix a new date for the election,” he said.
Akinyomi accused the APC leadership in Ondo State of hijacking the process to favour what he called an “anointed aspirant,” insisting that there was neither a valid primary election nor a consensus arrangement as stipulated by the Electoral Act.
“My understanding of consensus is that all aspirants must agree on one candidate and that process must be witnessed appropriately. That never happened. What we had was an aspirant imposed by the leadership,” he alleged.
Despite his grievances, the aspirant expressed confidence in the national leadership of the APC and President Bola Tinubu, saying he believed the petitions before the party would receive attention and justice.
“We have written our petition and I am very sure it will reach the desk of the President. He is a democrat who believes in democratic values. We believe something will be done,” Akinyomi said.
He maintained that his decision to challenge the process was not a personal battle but part of a broader struggle to strengthen internal democracy, vowing to continue pursuing the matter through lawful and peaceful means until a decision is reached by the party leadership.
