There was a tense exchange between the Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo who is the chairman of the seven-member committee overseeing the Ondo All Progressives Congress governorship primary and one of the aspirants for the party’s gubernatorial ticket, Gbenga Edema over the distribution of election materials for the party’s primary On Saturday.
The argument erupted when Edema confronted Ododo, saying that election materials were to be distributed to several wards in the state despite the secretary of the primary election committee, Ovie Omo-Agege, announcing 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”.
He claimed that the committee had violated the protocols for the process.
Responding, Ododo stated that election materials had been dispatched to both the North and South senatorial districts of the state.
Similarly, another aspirant from Okitipupa Local Government Area, Adedayo Faduyile also faulted the election process, saying no due process was followed.
Faduyile stated that “While we were told yesterday that they would release the electoral materials by 8 am today but around 9.30 the materials were not available. But around 7.30 someone started counting people whom he said were not conducting elections in my ward. I saw an official counting vote. When I asked the official about the register and electoral materials, he said they were not ready. So, you counting votes without electoral materials even though accreditations were to commence by 10 am.
“Till now, we haven’t gotten any electoral material, we haven’t seen anybody. Nobody has done any election and it’s the same thing all over the Otu Balogun local government area as well as the Ilaje local government area and Ireni local government area. My coordinators are saying the same thing for Owo, Ose and Akoko local government areas. No election anywhere.”
He also alleged that “the officials collated names of the supporters of the State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and said he won when no election was conducted.”