Protests continued all over Akoko and Akure following the defeat of Dr. Segun Abraham, the Ondo All Progressives Congress (APC) front-runner candidate in the party’s primaries conducted on Saturday, September 3.
The yesterday, September 8, protesters stormed Abraham’s residence to give him solidarity support. In his message to them, Dr. Abraham, who was apparently overwhelmed by their show of solidarity, simply appealed to them to be calm and peaceful. He assured them that the party leadership is undoubtedly up to the task of handling the crisis, NAIJ.com reports.
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| Dr. Segun Abraham calls for calm as Ondo indigenes reject Akeredolu |
Some of the protesters were vigorous in calling for the recall of Hon. Stephen Friday Olemija who they accused of sabotaging Akoko’s effort and determination to produce the next Governor of Ondo state in Dr. Abraham. Olemija currently represents Akoko North East and Akoko North West local government areas in the House of Representatives. Both he and Dr. Abraham are from Ikare in Akoko North East.
The protesters thereafter sealed up Olemija’s house with palm fronds and the place has been deserted.
Similar protests have been staged amongst different circles in the state’s capital, Akure, as many are seen berating the process that led to the re-emergence of a guber candidate in Akeredolu, who represented the APC in 2012.
Reacting, a former commissioner in the state, Hon. Julius Akinnigbagbe described the development in the party as worrisome.
“Honestly it beats my imagination that an Ikare son can work like that against the interest of Ikare,” he lamented.
But a former secretary to the state government, Hon. Fisayo Bajowa, was more concerned about the party in general.
since the conclusion of the primaries makes me very sad. It is very bad for a party like APC which is a change agent to be associated with election malpractices as we have been hearing. I want to believe that it is all false otherwise it is sad commentary on the party.”
Commenting further, he expressed the hope that the party would redress the situation. “Any aspirant found to have manipulated the primaries should be severely dealt with,” he recommended.
Chief Erastus Akeju, an elder of the party has advocated for the disqualification of Barrister Rotimi Akerele (SAN) the winner of the primaries if found guilty of election manipulation.
“If that happens,” he recommended, “the runner-up should be declared the winner.”
On the protests in Akoko land, he said: “Everyone is outraged by what Olemija did, but that is not my greatest headache. My headache is that Aketi that emerged from the primaries is not popular with the people at all. Go to town and hear what people have been saying. With him as candidate, APC should simply forget the election.”
Corroborating Chief Akeju, an Akure-based political activist, Chief Mrs. Nike Oladare simply asked, “Were the delegates blind? How can they go and vote for Aketi? Nobody can make that one governor o. He is too arrogant and pugnacious.”
Continuing she said: “Anyway I understand that he rigged the election. We don’t even know that he is a rigger too.”
The Ondo APC primary election remains enshrouded in controversies as more groups keep joining the host of petitioners to challenge the outcome, with the most recent being the Ondo North Elders Assembly of APC.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 7 and made available to NAIJ.com, the group is calling for the party’s disqualification of Akeredolu, and/or any of the aspirants that is implicated in the anomalies that rocked the election.
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| Abraham calls for calm as Ondo indigenes reject Akeredolu |
Akeredolu polled 669 votes to defeat Abraham, who had 635 votes.
Twenty-four aspirants jostled for the party’s ticket in the governorship primary election, while a total of 2774 delegates were accredited to vote during the exercise which was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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