Ahead of the upcoming Ondo State governorship election, a group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has thrown its weight behind Benson Akingboye of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), rejecting the party’s candidate, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The group criticised Aiyedatiwa’s emergence as the party’s flag-bearer, citing concerns over alleged irregularities and their disenchantment with the leadership’s handling of the primaries. This was revealed in a petition written to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday.
Aiyedatiwa was declared the winner by Governor Usman Ododo-led Primary Election Committee following a poll conducted in all 18 local government areas of the state. However, the result was contested over allegations of irregularities and violence in some polling units. Consequently, the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, and five other aspirants filed petitions challenging Aiyedatiwa’s victory.
In response, the APC national chairman summoned all the aspirants to the party secretariat in Abuja and urged them to bury the hatchet and work with Aiyedatiwa. However, trouble flared again in the APC camp on Saturday with the declaration of this APC group.
In a fresh petition signed by the Coordinator of Ondo Patriots, Dele Oyewo, the party leaders vowed to shun Aiyedatiwa and support the Social Democratic Party candidate, Otunba Benson Akingboye. The letter partly read: “Following the position our dear party in Abuja has taken, supporting Governor Aiyedatiwa’s questionable emergence at the shadow primaries conducted in April 2024, the leadership of our various organising groups within the party structure hereby reiterates that it will be almost impossible to work with the governor in the November 16 gubernatorial election.”
