A senatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Alex Ajipe, has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to intervene in the results declared for the Ondo North senatorial district of Ondo State.
The Chairman of the National Assembly Primary Election Committee, Hon. Iboroma Harry Dabibi, had announced that Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye polled 28,062 votes to emerge as the winner. Ajipe Alex secured 17,313 votes, while the incumbent Senator, Olajide Ipinsagba, recorded 9,819 votes.
Other results showed that Hon Adeogun Adejoro polled 3,845 votes, Abdul Tunji Muhammed secured 1,076 votes, while Michael Adeyanju recorded 640 votes.
However, reacting, Ajipe said the results declared by the Returning Officer did not reflect the votes in Owo and Ose local governments, while the results declared in the four Akoko local governments did not reflect the actual vote count in the areas.
Consequently, Ajipe asked the leadership of the party to intervene in the disputed figure released to prevent the breakdown of law and order in the senatorial district. He also warned against protest votes from the people if their grievances are not addressed.
In his statement, Ajipe said what happened on May 18 during the senatorial election was an allocation of votes in broad daylight, with the figures not matching the voters’ turnout.
He said, “What happened in the four Akoko Local Government Areas was not an election. In Akoko South West, Akoko North East, Akoko North West, and Akoko South East, collation and returning officers deceived APC members into writing results on plain sheets of paper with the promise of transferring them to the official result sheets at the Local Government collation centre.
“After collecting the papers, the officers disappeared. They never showed up at the Local Government collation centres, nor at the statutory senatorial headquarters collation point in Owo. Different versions of the results then flooded social media, followed by the charade declaration of Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye online.
“A fair assessment of events before the disruption shows that: I was leading in Akoko South East; Hon. Ade Adeogun was clearly leading in Akoko South West; Hon. Jide Ipinsagba was leading in Akoko North West, followed by Engr. Mike Adeyanju and I, and in Akoko North East, Hon. Jide Ipinsagba and Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye were head-to-head, followed by Chief Abdul.
“Before these standings could be formally collated, the returning and collation officers disappeared, and voting ended abruptly. 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.
“We condemn the Governor’s undemocratic tendencies. The entire process was hijacked and handed over to the Governor’s political associates and his anointed aspirant.
“The Primary Committee and its technical team appointed by the APC National Secretariat were supposed to divide itself and supervise the three senatorial districts for effective supervision and monitoring.
“Instead, the committee split into two factions, one headed by the chairman and another by the secretary, abandoned its responsibility, and ceded everything to the Governor’s camp. When the party’s own panel is fractured and compromised, what hope is there for fairness?”
Ajipe appreciated the Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for his stand during the process to ensure peace and fairness. He said the Minister’s intervention helped calm tensions and reminded the people that there are still leaders within the party who value justice over imposition.
The aggrieved aspirant said the imposition of candidates showed the Governor is disconnected from the grassroots. He said resorting to vote allocation proved he is not popular with the people and out of tune with the realities of the common man.
He said: “The party risks repeating history. In 2015, with no APC Governor in Ondo, we won the presidential election overwhelmingly. In 2019, with an APC Governor, we lost. If this injustice stands, the President may become the biggest victim again in 2027.”
Ajipe said the people of Owo spoke with one voice, demanding equity and fairness. He insisted that the Senate must come to the Owo axis after 20 years. He added that his supporters should not lose hope as the appeal committee and National Working Committee would address the injustice.
