Addressing journalists in Akure, Ondo state capital on Saturday, the aspirants which includ the lawmaker representing Idanre state constituency at the State House of Assembly, Hon Tuyi Akintimehin,
Olawole Sunday-Jepson, Teniola Peter-Oladele and Ayodeji Adeniyi, said that the primary election scheduled to hold at the area was marred with violence.
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Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved aspirants, Hon Sunday-Jepson alleged that the primary is a mere endorsement of one of the aspirants by the party leadership in the state, saying, there was no party official from the National Secretariat for the election while APC wards chairmen in Idanre were used as agents of Akinwalere.
According to him, the primary election was arranged, skewed and designed to favour one of the aspirants, Mr Sunday Akinwalere, who was said to be enjoying the support of one of the leaders of the party
He explained that there was no comprehensive and credible register of members of the party with which a free and fair transparent direct primary could be conducted during the primary election while leaders of the party failed to turn up for the election.
He however said members of the party who trooped out to partake in the exercise in their various wards were attacked, beaten and injured by hoodlums suspected to be political thugs who were armed with dangerous weapons.
The aspirants however, called on the National Working Committee (NWC), of APC-led by Adams Oshiomhole to quickly wade into the matter while calling for the nullification of the election and a fresh election for the House of Representatives primaries in Idanre and Ifedore.
Speaking on behalf of the party, the State Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr Alex Kalejaye, said that primaries of the party for the National Assembly and state Assembly primaries held across the state were peaceful and denied any violence during the exercise.
The APC spokesman said the State Chairman, Mr Ade Adetimehin, had promised that all grievances arising from primary election would be genuinely looked into to avoid internal wrangling in the party.
Kalejaye said: “the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) conducted a transparent and peaceful primaries to pick its National and State Assembly flagbearers in the next general elections.
“The exercise was carried out with the full participation of the stakeholders and party members, in line with the directives of the National Executive Committee in Abuja.”
Kalejaye commended the maturity displayed by members of the party during the primary elections saying “the State Chairman of the party, Hon Ade Adetimehin, commended all members for their maturity and peaceful conduct during the exercise.
He has called on members of APC in the state to continue to stand by the party, assuring that all grievances would be genuinely looked into to avoid internal wrangling.”
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