‘You’re not following procedure’ — Ondo guber hopeful confronts Ododo over APC primary

Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, and Gbenga Edema, one of the hopefuls for the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket in Ondo, engaged in a heated argument on Saturday over the distribution of election material for the party’s primary. 

Ododo is the chairman of the seven-member committee overseeing the Ondo APC governorship primary.

The argument started after some members party gathered at the BON Hotel, Akure, where the election materials were scheduled to be distributed.

From the crowd, Edema confronted Ododo, saying that election materials were to be distributed to several wards in the state.

The aspirant added that Ovie Omo-Agege, secretary of the primary election committee, had announced that “accreditation will start by 10 am, to be completed by 1 pm while voting proper will start by 1 pm and end by 2 pm”.

Edema then accused the committee of breaching the protocols for the exercise.

In response, Ododo said election materials have been sent to wards in the north and south senatorial districts in the state.

“I came in this morning as early as past eight for this national assignment to humanity. You claim that there has never been material issued to any of the 203 wards,” the governor said.

“From the brief I have gotten from the secretary of this APC primary election, that of the north and south have been released since morning. And it remains that of the central, which is what we have been trying to sort out.”

Reacting, Edema said his ward is located in the state’s south senatorial district and “the returning officer who ought to collect materials for my ward, Mahin Ward II in Ilaje local government area, is here and unable to collect any materials”.

“I’m from Ilaje LGA. [Voting material] has not been sent there. How did it arrive there? Through what medium? I have been here by 6:30 am,” the governorship aspirant said.

“I am one of the aspirants. The returning officer who ought to collect material for my ward, Mahin Ward II, in the Ilaje local government area, is here and unable to collect any materials. He has been here since seven o’clock. No material was given to him.”

The confrontation then climaxed into shouts and heated exchanges.

A total of 171,922 accredited members for the APC gubernatorial election in the state. The exercise is scheduled to take place across 203 wards in 18 LGAs.