All eyes on APC as Labour Party picks economist for Ondo gov election

As delegates trooped to The Dome, venue of the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state on Saturday, Labour Party announced the emergence of Adeuti Taye, an economist, for the November governorship election.

Taye was unanimously adopted after Olugbenga Ojo, his only challenger, withdrew from the race.

Ladi Iliya, returning officer for the election and deputy national chairman of the former ruling party in Ondo, commended the aspirants for “the spirit of sportsmanship”, charging them to continue in “this direction” for the party’s success in the forthcoming election.

The exercise was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Meanwhile, more delegates have continued to arrive the Akure venue of the APC primary ahead of the election.

Accreditation held at three different venues in each of the senatorial districts. While delegates from the south senatorial district converged on ESS BEE Event Center, Akure, for accreditation, those from the north senatorial district made use of OSDPG Multipurpose Hall in Ijapo Estate, still in Ondo capital, and their counterparts from Ondo central were accredited at Arcade Ground, around the state house of assembly.

The election had not commenced as of the time this report was being filed.

Though Mohammed Abubakar, governor of Jigawa state and chairman of the election committee, had said voting would commence by 12:30pm, arrangements were still being made at the estimated time.

Twenty-four aspirants are in the race, but four of them are said to be the main contenders.

They are Ajayi Boroffice, senator representing Ondo north; Olusegun Abraham, who has the backing of Bola Tinubu, former Lagos state governor, Olusola Oke, a lawyer, who served in the pioneer board of the NDDC, and Rotimi Akeredolu, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Akeredolu was the main rival of Olusegun Mimiko, the incumbent governor, in the 2012 election. He ran on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).