Akeredolu defeats 7 aspirants, emerges winner of Ondo APC governorship primaries

Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has emerged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the October 10 governorship election.

He won in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the states defeating seven other aspirants including other leading figures in the state, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, Olusola Oke, Sola Iji, Olaide Adelami, Nathaniel Adojutelegan and Bukola Adetula, Olusegun Abraham.

Out of the 12 aspirants screened and cleared in Abuja last week for the primary election, three had earlier collapsed structures for another stronger aspirant, Ife Oyedele, who on the eve of the primary on  Sunday also further collapsed structure to pull support  for the governor on the grounds that he should continue his good work for Ondo State people.

Akeredolu was declared the party’s flag bearer, having won the highest number of lawful votes at the party’s primary election held at the International Conference Centre, popularly called The Dome, in Akure the state capital on Monday.

Chairman of the governorship primary election committee, who is also the Governor of Kogi State, Mr Yahaya Bello, announced the results at the end of the exercise which lasted for several hours and into the night.

Governor Akeredolu, who polled the highest number of votes in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state, was overwhelmingly voted for by many of the delegates as he beat his closest rival, Chief Olusola Oke with over 50 percent.

Describing the election as a free and fair one, Governor Bello said members of the committee were fair to all the aspirants that participated in the election.

While urging all the aspirants that participated in the election to support the party’s candidate to ensure the victory of the party in the governorship election, Bello said the outcome of the election showed the level of acceptance of Akeredolu by members of the party in the state.

Heavy security operatives had besieged the venue of the primary election to forestall crisis during the exercise.

The security personnel including officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and those of the Department of State Services (DSS) numbering over 1,000 monitored the election.

The DEFENDER can authoritatively report that Monday’s APC primaries in Ondo State also finally settled the reported rumour that Bola Tinubu’s candidate, Segun Abraham had been disqualified from participating in the exercise. He was among aspirants cleared to participate.