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| Ondo APC Primary: Ganduje's Meeting with Aggrieved Aspirants Ends in Deadlock |
The leader of the protesters, Kolawole Johnson, called on President Bola Tinubu and party leaders to prevail on the National Working Committee (NWC) to cancel the primary and inaugurate a new chairman to conduct a free primary
A meeting between the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and six aggrieved aspirants who contested the party's primary election in Ondo State has ended in a deadlock. The aspirants, including Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Olusola Oke, and four others, had filed petitions challenging the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who emerged as the party's candidate for the November 16 governorship election.
Ganduje had invited the aspirants for reconciliation, appealing to them to put aside their differences and work towards the party's success in the forthcoming election. However, after a closed-door meeting, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Duru Meseko, announced that the party would continue dialogue with the aspirants individually and collectively to find a common ground.
Sources revealed that none of the aggrieved aspirants had agreed to withdraw their petitions during the meeting. Meanwhile, protesters from Ondo State stormed the APC headquarters in Abuja, demanding the cancellation of the primary election and a fresh primary poll. The protesters, who were dispersed by security operatives, carried placards and banners with inscriptions such as "We reject this fraud called APC primary" and "We want a fresh primary poll in Ondo State."
The leader of the protesters, Kolawole Johnson, called on President Bola Tinubu and party leaders to prevail on the National Working Committee (NWC) to cancel the primary and inaugurate a new chairman to conduct a free primary. The APC National Vice Chairman (South West), Isaac Kekemeke, who also contested the election, was absent from the meeting. The party has resolved to continue dialogue with the aspirants to work towards a united front for the forthcoming election.
