Ajipe cries foul over Ondo North APC primary

By Dayo Johnson

Alexander Ajipe, All Progressive Congress, Senatorial aspirant for Ondo North, has rejected the outcome of the party’s primary, describing it as a “charade” and warning that President Bola Tinubu could pay the price in 2027 if the injustice stands.

Speaking to journalists in Owo, Ajipe said the party risked repeating its 2019 mistake.

“In 2015, with no APC governor in Ondo, we won the presidential election overwhelmingly. In 2019, with an APC governor, we lost,” he said.

The APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee had declared Gbenga Elegbeleye winner of the Ondo North senatorial primary with 28,062 votes.

Ajipe polled 17,313 votes, while incumbent Senator Olajide Ipinsagba got 9,819 votes. Adeogun Adejoro, Abdul Tunji Muhammed, and Michael Adeyanju scored 3,845, 1,076, and 640 votes respectively.

The aspirant said the process in the four Akoko LGAs was not an election but “allocation of votes in broad daylight.”

According to him, collation and returning officers in Akoko South West, North East, North West, and South East asked party members to write results on plain sheets with a promise to transfer them to official sheets at the LGA collation centres.

The officers then disappeared and never appeared at either the LGA or senatorial headquarters collation point in Owo, he alleged.

“Different versions of results flooded social media, followed by the charade declaration of Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye online,” he said.

Ajipe claimed that before the disruption, he was leading in Akoko South East, while Adeogun led in Akoko South West.

He said Jide Ipinsagba led in Akoko North West, with Mike Adeyanju and himself following, and that Ipinsagba and Elegbeleye were neck-and-neck in Akoko North East.

“No materials, no accreditation, no voting, no proper collation. This is an assault on democracy and a direct insult to APC members who turned out in good faith,” he said.

Ajipe accused the governor’s camp of hijacking the process.

He said the primary committee, appointed by the APC National Secretariat, split into two factions and abandoned its duty, ceding control to the governor’s associates.

“When the party’s own panel is fractured and compromised, what hope is there for fairness?” he asked.

He commended the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for intervening to ensure peace and fairness, saying the action helped calm tensions.

Ajipe also thanked supporters in Owo and Ose for remaining peaceful, saying their turnout showed demand for equity.

“After 20 years, the Senate must come to the Owo axis. Your overwhelming votes proved it. You stayed at the senatorial collation centre for two nights waiting for justice. Owo has spoken,” he said.

He said he had confidence in the APC Appeal Panel and National Working Committee to review the facts and uphold internal democracy.

“Ondo North deserves better. APC deserves better. Nigeria deserves better,” he added.

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