Controversy trails Ogun APC primaries as Amosun’s candidate emerges

Controversies have continued to trail results of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries across the federation with the latest being that of Ogun State where Adekunle Akinlade, a member of the House of Reps emerged as the governorship candidate of the party.

The announcement was done by the State Party Chairman, Chief Derin Adebiyi at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta.

Derin Adebiyi, state chairman of the party, made the declaration after a parallel primary was conducted on Tuesday.

Akinlade, lawmaker representing Egbada South/Ipokia federal constituency, is the preferred candidate of Ibikunle Amosun, governor of the state.

While addressing journalists at the secretariat of the party in Abeokuta, Adebiyi said Akinlade polled 190, 987 votes out of 201, 620 valid votes cast across the 236 wards in the state.

Jimi lawal came second with 5,046 votes, Dapo Abiodun with 3,648 votes, while Abimbola Ashiru had 898 votes.

He said Adegbenga Kaka had 833 votes and Abayomi Hunye with 20 votes.

When asked why the announcement of the result was not done by the National Working Committee, Adebiyi disclosed that the NWC had refused to come for the election for no reason and that because of the committee, the primary was rescheduled from Sunday to Tuesday based on the excuses of printing ballot paper.

He said since the committee had refused to show up during the primaries in the wards and local governments for no reason, the party’s guidelines were followed.

This came after the state party members accused the national working committee (NWC) representatives to the state led by Muhammad Indabawa of planning to compromise the election after it was postponed three times.

Adebiyi had said, “They arrived on Monday and at the meeting held at the MITROS Suites, Ibara, Abeokuta, the NWC panel told us the primary would hold on Tuesday.

“The party members were all in their wards waiting for the NWC panel, but they never showed up.”

Taiwo Adeoluwa, secretary to the Ogun state government, had accused Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), of planning to impose a governorship candidate on party members.

The electoral committee is yet to react to this development.