An All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for Owo Constituency 11 House of Assembly of Ondo State, Hon Adeola Taoheed Musa, has claimed victory in the primary election held in his constituency on Wednesday.
Musa said the results declared in Owo by the Returning Officer (RO) in the presence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and security agencies showed that he won the primary election.
Addressing reporters in Akure, the state capital, Musa expressed dismay at the announcement of another person as the winner after the result was already declared in the constituency where the election was held.
Musa, popularly known as ATM, has declared that he emerged victorious in all the wards during the APC House of Assembly primary election held in Owo.
He maintained that the results and evidence in his possession clearly showed that he won overwhelmingly across the wards, contrary to speculations being made around.
The APC aspirant alleged attempts to manipulate the outcome of the primary in favour of another contender, Funke Aruna, warning that such a move could trigger serious unrest among party loyalists and supporters in the constituency.
According to him, the mandate freely given to him by party members must be respected in the interest of justice, fairness, and peace within the party.
According to him, the consensus candidate of the governor was nowhere to be found during the primary, noting that only he and Hon Morenike Witherspoon were physically present for the election.
He said that, to frustrate his supporters, election materials for the primary were hoarded, saying, in spite of that, loyal party members massively voted for him.
His words: “Only my election was witnessed by Nigerian security, INEC officials, and Owo local government party leadership. There is no doubt about the credibility of the primary that produced me as the winner”.
He further stated that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Owo Local Government Party Executives were present at the collation centre where he was declared the winner of the primary election.
He said, “I won the primary election convincingly in all the wards. I have credible evidence to prove my victory, and any attempt to declare another person the winner against the will of party members won’t stand.”
He said that the votes of Owo Constituency 1 were counted at Oke Mapo in the presence of the INEC and party officials, likewise Constituency 2, but surprisingly, Funke Aruna was pronounced the winner in Akure contrary to the party guidelines.
Musa said: “I was surprised to see the name of Funke Aruna flying around as the winner of the primary, as against what was declared in the Constituency.
“Her name was slotted in as the winner by the powers that be at the State Capital, but one thing I can assure my supporters is that illegality won’t stand.
“The real winner was announced at Oke-Mapo, contrary to the one announced in Akure. The fake result can’t stand. It was led by Tope Omolayo, the suspended local government chairman, who is a person who ordinarily can’t walk wholly in Owo.”
Musa appealed to the leadership of the party to remain transparent and uphold the integrity of the electoral process, stressing that APC members in Owo expect fairness and due process.
He also called on supporters to remain calm and law-abiding while awaiting the final decision of the party.
