Ondo APC’s Akinyomi demands new primary over alleged rigging in Reps race

By Boye Oyeyemi

A House of Representatives aspirant for the Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency under the All Progressives Congress, Prince Monday Akinyomi, has alleged irregularities in the party’s primary election, claiming the process was manipulated to favour a preferred candidate.

Akinyomi, while addressing the public, described the May 16 exercise as lacking credibility, insisting that party members were denied the opportunity to freely choose their candidate for the forthcoming election.

According to him, confusion surrounded the primary as there was no clearly identified venue, while different groups reportedly gathered at separate locations claiming to be participating in the exercise.

“I expected a transparent and democratic process where delegates would decide the outcome, but what happened fell short of that expectation. There was no election,” he alleged.

The aspirant further claimed that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and recognised party representatives were absent from the purported collation centre, adding that the declared result emerged without visible accreditation, voting or collation.

He disclosed that dissatisfied aspirants had petitioned the party’s National Working Committee, urging it to nullify the exercise and conduct a fresh primary.

However, the Ondo State chapter of the APC dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the primary was conducted by officials appointed by the party’s National Working Committee.

In a statement, the party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, said the state leadership only provided logistical support and had no constitutional role in conducting or declaring the results, urging aggrieved members to seek redress through established party mechanisms.