TheCable

Olusola Oke, one of the hopefuls for the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket in Ondo, says rescheduling the party’s primary election in Okitipupa LGA of the state is an “insult to the sensibilities and religion of the people” in the area.

Oke spoke on Sunday in a statement signed by Ojo Oyewamide, spokesperson of his campaign office.

On Saturday, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi and the chairman of the committee overseeing the APC gubernatorial primary poll in Ondo, announced that voting had been rescheduled in all 13 wards of Okitipupa LGA for Sunday.

He said the election was not held in the LGA on Saturday due to the late arrival of materials.

Reacting to the announcement, Oke described the move as “a shameful attempt to give the sham a stamp of credibility”.

He added that the election “did not take place anywhere in the state”.

“This attempt is the purported rescheduling of the so-called primary election in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state. Our question is, how can a primary election that did not occur anywhere in the state be rescheduled in one of the 18 local government areas?” the statement said.

“We insist that what happened in Ondo state yesterday was a disheartening mockery of democracy. As a result, our party has become a boot of jokes in the hands of the opposition parties and the people of the state.”

Other governorship hopefuls have condemned the conduct of the primary election.

While some have demanded the cancellation of the election, others alleged irregularities in the process.

Despite the criticism and controversies surrounding the primary election, Ododo insisted the process was transparent.

The primary election was scheduled to take place across 203 wards in the 18 LGAs of the state.