APC Senate Primary: Ajipe alleges undemocratic conduct in Ondo North

One of the prominent aspirants for the Ondo North Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alexander Ajipe has described the just concluded APC senate primary election in the area as an undemocratic exercise.

Recall that at the APC State Secretariat in Akure, the Chairman of the National Assembly Primary Election Committee, Iboroma Harry Dabibi, on Tuesday night announced that on Ondo North Senatorial District primary election results that “Gbenga Elegbeleye polled 28,062 votes to emerge winner. Alexander Ajipe secured 17, 313 votes, while the incumbent Senator, Olajide Ipinsagba recorded 9,819 votes.

Ade Adeogun polled 3,845 votes, Abdul Tunji Muhammed secured 1,076 votes, while Michael Adeyanju recorded 640 votes.

But Ajipe, while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Owo, however, rejected the purported declaration of Gbenga Elegbeleye as the winner of the APC Ondo North senatorial primary.

According to him, what happened in the four Akoko local government areas was not an election, but it was an allocation of votes in broad daylight.

He said; “In Akoko South West, Akoko North East, Akoko North West, and Akoko South East, collation and returning officers deceived APC members to write results on plain sheets of paper with the promise of transferring them to the official result sheets at the LG collation center.

“After collecting the papers, the officers disappeared. They never showed up at the LG collation centers, nor at the statutory senatorial headquarters collation point in Owo. Different versions of 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; Ade Adeogun was clearly leading in Akoko South West; Jide Ipinsagba was leading in Akoko North West, followed by Mike Adeyanju and myself; and in Akoko North East, Jide Ipinsagba and Gbenga Elegbeleye were head-to-head, followed by Abdul Tunji Muhammed. 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 was 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?.

“We acknowledge and thank the Hon. Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo for his stand during the process to ensure peace and fairness, even when we least expected it. His intervention helped calm tensions and reminded us that there are still leaders within the party who value justice over imposition.

“This shows the governor is disconnected from the grassroots. Resorting to vote allocation proves he is not popular with the people and out of tune with the realities of the common man. 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, Mr. President may become the biggest victim again in 2027.

“We thank the people of Ondo North. To our brothers and sisters in Akoko South West, Akoko North East, Akoko North West and Akoko South East: thank you for refusing to be provoked into violence despite this provocation. You have shown discipline and loyalty to the party.

“To our supporters, we urge you not to lose hope, your votes and sacrifice will not be in vain. We have full confidence in the APC Appeal Panel and our National working committee to review the facts and do justice. We trust that the party will uphold its constitution and protect the integrity of its primaries.

“Ajipe Democratic Movement (ADM) stands for equity, fairness, and internal democracy. Ondo North deserves better, APC deserves better, and Nigeria deserves better.”