Ondo APC guber primary was transparent, Ododo replies critics

Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, says the Ondo state governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held on Saturday was “transparent”.

The ruling party conducted the primary election to select its flagbearer for the November 16 poll in Ondo.

Ododo is the chairman of the seven-member committee that supervised the exercise.

Some governorship aspirants, including Olusola Oke, have expressed concerns over the conduct of the election, citing violence and alleged manipulation of the list of electoral officers.

There were allegations that electoral officers did not take election materials to certain voting centres.

However, in a statement, Ismaila Isah, media aide to Ododo, said the Kogi governor has commended stakeholders and APC members over the conduct of the election.

“I have received reports from our committee members and security agencies as well as NGOs monitoring the election including video footage,” the statement reads.

“I can say that the process has been transparent and we are going to produce a candidate that will unify the APC ahead of the November 2024 governorship election in the state.”

Ododo said the delay in the distribution of election materials has no adverse effect on the conduct of the poll.

The Kogi governor added that concerns noticed in the revalidated membership list would not have any major impact on the outcome of the election.

He urged aspirants and their supporters to see the primary election as a “contest among brothers and sisters in one family”.