The All Progressives Congress (APC) appeals committee on the governorship primary election held on Saturday in Ondo State has received two additional petitions, bringing to five the number.

A statement issued by the committee’s secretary, Obiocha Isreal, on Tuesday, said the fresh petitions were received from Jimoh Ibrahim and Folakemi Omogoroye.

Wale Akinteriwa, Gbenga Edema, and Jimi Odimayo, who contested the election, had filed petitions earlier on Monday over the poll’s conduct and result.

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who became governor following the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s death, was declared the election winner by Governor Usman Ododo-led committee.

Other aspirants, including the petitioners, however, decried the conduct of the election, alleging that no elections were held in many wards in the 18 local government areas of the state.

Mr Isreal said the two aspirants alleged that the just-concluded primary was marred by irregularities and fell short of appreciable standards.

He said, “Ibrahim and Omogoroye described the process as an anticlimax, a mockery of democracy and complete negation of every known democratic norm.”

Mr Isreal said further that Ms Omogoroye asked for the election to be cancelled and urged the committee chairman to order another.

Mr Ibrahim asked for the election to be canceled on four grounds: non-compliance with the rules, non-provision of electoral materials, non-accreditation of agents, and gross misconduct.

“ I paid N100 million for the validation of over 40,000 party members, and those members were not allowed to be revalidated across Ondo State.

“This was because no voter register was made available in the wards to which members could be validated.

“On ground two, on the provision of electoral materials, no electoral materials were provided for the conduct of the election.

“The local government electoral officials were kept in the hotel for several hours during the election, and only result sheets were given to them.

“My agents were not accredited in all the wards, and they did not sign the election result sheet since none was made available to them,” Mr Ibrahim was quoted as having said in his petition. 

(NAN)